


Playing With Fire

by Doodleoodle



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Angst, Angst and Feels, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Banter, Blow Jobs, Complicated Relationships, Cunnilingus, Don't Judge Me, Drama, Drunken Kissing, F/M, First Time Blow Jobs, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Forehead Kisses, Foreplay, Friends With Benefits, Friends to Lovers, Gentle Kissing, Grinding, High School, Inspired by Miraculous Ladybug, Kissing, Ladynoir | Adrien Agreste as Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng as Ladybug, Light Angst, Love is hard, Miraculous Ladybug Love Square, Mutual Pining, Neck Kissing, Oral Sex, Other, Porn with Feelings, Resolved Sexual Tension, Romance, School, Semi-Public Sex, Sexual Content, Sexual Tension, Smut, Underage Drinking, Underage Drug Use, Underage Smoking, Unhealthy Relationships, Unresolved Romantic Tension, Unresolved Sexual Tension, Vaginal Sex, relationships are hard, throw me in the sin bin
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-30
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-10 22:27:54
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 24,131
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28424736
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Doodleoodle/pseuds/Doodleoodle
Summary: Eighteen years old and tired of trying to balance two lives, Ladybug proposes to Chat Noir that they extend the meaning of their partnership. What's meant to be harmless, hot, mindless teenage sex forces the duo to face two ugly truths. Chat Noir fights the idea that it might be time to move on from this unrequited love and Ladybug struggles with the notion that there is more past Chat Noir's tomcat facade.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Kagami Tsurugi, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Luka Couffaine/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 105
Kudos: 270





	1. Better and Better

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi all! This is my first fic being posted to ao3! I know this is a classic trope in the ml fandom, but I hope to carry this story further! I'm excited to continue writing and I hope you enjoy <3

Marinette is immobilized in panic. The worst fucking kind of panic. The kind that debilitates her. The kind that makes her heartbeat rage like her own body is breaking down on her. The kind that made her eyes glaze over with paralyzing terror. The kind of panic that makes her brain synapses fire like a series of internal flares. Her brain is melted into a soup of conflicted feelings, weighing back and forth between responsibility and desire like a metronome stuck on one hundred and fifty beats per minute. Her heart beating like it’s trying to escape the bonehouse of her ribs. Her body overheating as she stands frozen for too long. 

This panic, intense and deadly, venomous and aggressive...

Caused by only one question…

_“Do you love me, yes or no?”_

* * *

“This-,” Marinette huffs, her eyes screwing shut in ecstasy. “I-isn’t going to be a regular thing.” 

Of course Chat can’t answer, his lips are busy. 

Truthfully she was saying it more to herself. A way to reassure herself that what was happening between her legs wasn’t a calamitous mistake. Maybe if she said it out loud it would be the last time. 

But, _fuck,_ he was doing such a good job. 

Her thighs reflexively clench around his head. Her hands fly up, resting on either side of the base of her neck, praying that somehow it might help keep her silent. She rolls her hips instinctively as he continues to worship her body, his blond locks tickling her inner thighs. 

“Holy shit,” She gasps, earning a lustful groan from her partner. The two are enjoying themselves a little too much for her liking, dancing on a thin line. She writhes with bated breath, forgetting what it means to inhale. Her chest grows tight as his tongue continues it’s desperate ministrations. She throws her head back, blowing out a tremulous cloud of air. 

She curses under her breath, her vocal chords aching to be used. 

_Where the fuck did he learn how to do this?_

She can’t even be bothered to care, her brain malfunctioning as her stomach grows warm with excitement, begging for release. His fingers pressing bruises into her ass, pulling her as close to his mouth as possible. 

Marinette pants out in exclamation as Chat grazes a bundle of nerves, her face caught up in the expression he lived to see. 

“Right there,” She falls forward on her hands, her muscles seizing up as she continues to ride his face. He knows her body too well, and apparently he didn’t feel bad about taking ruthless advantage either.

“Fuck, don’t s...stop,” She can hardly finish a thought, gushing slick against his lips. Her elbows buckling as her core shakes in fervor and her cheeks flush bright red in fever. Each nerve in her body is hit with a jolt of electricity, killing her and then bringing her back to life over and over. As soon as she’s certain she can’t take it anymore, she pulls a knot of his hair back, begging him to let her recover. 

She slides down his body as he sits up, his pupils fully dilated as his chest rises and falls in excruciatingly shallow breaths. Marinette’s eyes are still closed, her eyebrows pulled together, her mouth open, but no sound escaping. 

Chat brushes his lips against hers, salty and sleek. She pulls back, her body still wracked with the most amazing torture of her life. Finally she opens her eyes, gaping at her shaking legs hidden beneath her pink tennis skirt. At last, the avalanche of stimulated nerves seems to be rumbling to a slow stop. 

Chat grins, his eyes feral with sinful, carnal desire. 

“I would…” She blinks as she comes to. “I would return the favor Kitty, but I don’t think I can move for at least half an hour.” She laughs gustily. 

It was always the moments after, that made her so mind numbingly absent and reckless. Although she’d promised herself last time that she was done and that she would abstain. 

But, _merde_ , everytime it just kept getting better and better. 

Chat presses a kiss under her ear, sucking at her overly sensitive skin. Marinette wonders how he can look at her with such a salacious fascination. She is certain she looks a mess, her mascara probably smudged from her teary eyes, her pink sparkly lip gloss streaked just to the left of his lips. He nips her neck, surely leaving a mark. Usually by now she would’ve called a time out, but who the fuck was she to deny him anything. 

“How,” Her voice is hoarse. “Do you do that?” She laughs through her nose. 

“I just love seeing you this way,” He whispers into her ear, softly. It sounds too lovingly as it leaves his lips. Still, it sends a pulse beneath her skirt. He brushes a thumb beneath her spotted domino mask. 

She presses her lips together at his expression. It’s too affectionate. Too devoted. 

“What time is it?” She turns her wrist, checking the thin gold watch. A mild anxiety grips a hand around her neck. 

“Stay a little longer?” His thumb glides down her jaw, drawing her attention away from the tightness in her throat. 

“Don’t your parents worry?” She touches her nose to his. He wrinkles his nose, which is response enough. 

Marinette already knew his situation at home was difficult. 

“Okay, a little longer then,” She slips off his lap, getting comfortable on the stranger’s couch. Once again, Chat looks a little too content with himself. With a gloved hand, he pulls her panties from the couch cushion. He slips them over the heel of her foot and then her knees, sliding them all the way up past her thighs. Marinette stiffens as his eyes meet hers, soft and warm. 

“Here,” She sits up a little straighter, remembering not to slouch. “I have a good question.” 

This was a fun little game they played, bouncing questions back and forth that revealed nothing which could risk their safety.

“Shoot.”

“Okay, celebrity crush?” She turns her head towards him, admiring the view.

There was no denying that he was beyond attractive. The sun was setting, kissing the sky goodnight as it dipped beneath the parisian rooftops. The golden light highlighting his godly profile. 

“You mean besides you, My Lady?” He raises an eyebrow. 

“Yes,” She shoots him a half baked frown. Her head is too clouded and foggy for his little charms. 

“Lily-Rose Depp?” He says like it’s a question. Mari laughs, throwing her head back. 

“Are you asking me for my approval?” She grins his favorite kind of smile. Her time stopping smile. The one that’s almost too big for her elegant complexion. 

But that was what made it so amazing. 

“I dunno, you put me on the spot,” His cat ears flatten in embarrassment. “She’s pretty.” 

“Pretty? She’s gorgeous, she looks like a doll,” Marinette brushes her hair back. 

“Okay, Hunter Schaffer?” He tries again. 

“Alright,” Mari nods. “I could totally get behind that. But I thought she liked girls?”

He shrugs. “Your turn,” Chat stares at her with intrigue.

“Alright, I have a few,” She looks at the sky, trying to remember who had made the list. “Amandla Stenberg, Margot Robbie, Lily James, ” She pauses, looking at Chat. “And Adrien Agreste.” 

“Adrien Agreste?” Chat raises his eyebrows, leaning towards her.

It was always the strangest things that piqued his attention. 

“A girl can dream, right?” She chuckles at his sudden interest. 

“What’s so special about him?” He falls back against the couch cushions. 

“Literally everything,” She kicks her legs across Chat’s lap, sliding down to relax. 

“You should ask him out, see what happens,” He teases.

“Fuck that,” She snorts. “He’s probably dating Kaia Gerber or… I don’t know, fucking Lily-Rose Depp. Yeah, they would look good together.” 

“You would look good together,” Chat adds. 

“Oh, so you would let him have me. Good to know,” She plays with the single strap on her left shoulder. Chat’s eyes drop down, focusing on how her tight white shirt hugs her chest. He gazes at her toned midriff and her ribs poking through the thin fabric. 

“So, where do I come in on your list?” He runs a curious hand over her bare leg. 

“Oh, you’re my number one, obviously.” She taps his nose. “Best partner ever.” 

Chat rolls his eyes, but can’t ignore the smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. 

Marinette yawns, the exhaustion settling behind her eyes. 

“Don’t fall asleep on me,” Chat kisses the back of her hand. “Maybe you should get home.”

“Probably,” She nods, slipping away from his touch, taking a moment to stretch out her arms. “You know the drill.”

★

Chat turns around, listening to her soft honeyed voice say the magic phrase. A flash of pink covers the empty rooftop lounge before he can even say goodbye. He turns towards her, smiling sheepishly. The sun setting behind her, the sky taking on a fiery orange hue. 

Her waist is slender, sloping inwards from her bust as smoothly as fresh ice. The curves of her hips like an immaculately carved sculpture made of only the finest ivory. Her hair is messy, waved over her narrow shoulders like water running over smooth rock. Her skin glistening gold in the ethereal light. She is proof of perfection, proof that Life can still create celestially beautiful ancient gods. Her eyes the color of a jewel so expensive it would break a bank account. He knows her completely, yet not at all.

“What?” She has a goofy smile. 

_“I love you.”_

He holds his tongue. Afraid of what would happen if he said those three words. They are both grown, both eighteen, if he threw those words around now, she might actually take them seriously. He won’t allow himself to ruin what they have going on. She has made it clear plenty of times, they weren’t allowed to love each other. 

Which to him seemed impossible. 

_How do you prevent yourself from loving?_

If anyone had the answer...well, he wouldn’t want to know. He was perfectly content loving her like he did. Even if that meant he could only love her as a friend. 

“Goodnight kiss?” He settles on holding his feelings back. 

“Ha ha.” She rolls her eyes, shaking her head in false ire. “Goodnight Chaton. Don’t kiss and tell.” 

And then she’s gone. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I'm still figuring out how to use this website, so please be patient with me :) Thank you so much for reading!!!!


	2. Two Tense Heroes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette and Adrien find themselves in the merciless aftermath of another night spent together...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! I'm already astounded by how this story is doing! Thank you so much for the support ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Adrien slips through his window, peaking around his room with his cat like vision, ensuring he’s alone. He drops transformation, collapsing onto his desk chair. His brain is overloaded with information. 

His hand slips into his pocket, feeling his own faux mask. 

_What was so good about Adrien Agreste? Why did he appeal to her in that way?_

Adrien was a boring rule follower controlled by his father. He lived life by a schedule, continuing on and on everyday using his powers as an outlet. Maybe he could blame the media for glorifying him since _collège_. Still, it's strange to know she liked the part of him that he hated the most. 

_Also, why would he pine for Lily-Rose Depp when Ladybug was just a flash of green away?_

His moment of reflection is interrupted as he thinks back to earlier. 

_Christ, she was insatiable._

“You’re playing a dangerous game, kid,” Plagg’s voice interrupts his daydream. “You’re playing with fire.”

“I know, I understand,” Adrien sighs, wishing the responsibility wasn’t so rampantly onerous. The safety of the city was on his shoulders. He couldn’t risk causing an imbalance in their dynamic. Afterall, two tense heroes would not save the day. If something were to come between them, Paris might be doomed. 

“I’ve heard that before.” Plagg settles down.

He’d stopped berating Adrien with mopey whiney complaints. Partly because Adrien had learned patience and maturity over the years, leaving little content for Plagg to scold. 

Adrien retires to his bed, sprawling out on top of his sheets in hopes to beat the advancing summer heat. 

Even with the windows open, it was proving impossible to escape the burning flush across his skin. 

He had spent years pining over a girl who he wasn’t even on a first name basis with. Of course he understood more than anyone that his love reached far beyond such piddly little details. He had spent countless nights fighting alongside her. And through the experience, he’d found that there was no bond stronger than one forged on survival. 

They both consistently defied death, relying on each other to stay their six feet above the dirt. 

Adrien rolls onto his stomach. 

He couldn’t stop thinking about her. 

Whether that was when he is sitting right next to her on a rooftop or whether he was in class trying to focus on physics. Even his work had taken a hit, he could no longer sell the innocent childish look. All his photos seem to have taken on piney, brooding undertones nowadays. 

None of this was good. 

Three weeks ago Ladybug had come to him with an idea. 

Mindless teenage sex. 

At first he had thought she was joking...because... _WHAT?!_

Secondly, he had thought maybe he’d heard her wrong. 

Finally she had had to knock his soul back into his body with a gentle smack to his bicep.

 _“I know it sounds...strange,”_ She had said, blushing slightly. _“And maybe it’s a really bad idea...but i’m eighteen Chat, and so are you.”_

He wouldn’t dare flatter himself by saying maybe he could’ve seen it coming, but she had a point. A year back she had parted ways with her boyfriend.

He remembers her explaining that she barely had time to see him and she was always sneaking off to patrol or to fight. Adrien could relate. There had been a few times where his ex-girlfriend had accused him of cheating. He had broken things off with Kagami around the same time. Neither of them had tried again since. 

Adrien throws an arm over his eyes. 

Three weeks of mindless teenage sex with the girl he was in love with sounded like paradise. But each time he felt himself walking away with a new bruise on his heart. 

He wasn’t supposed to love her, or at least he wasn’t supposed to say anything. That was exactly what was supposed to make it mindless. No love, no strings, and the fact that they could stop at any time.

★

This was supposed to be fun. For the majority it was. But Marinette could feel emotions radiating off Chat like a microwave anytime she tried to scratch the itch. 

She for sure wasn’t in the mood to deal with it, especially since she had started her period that morning. At least with the aid of her birth control it wasn’t as excruciating. It had gotten hard for her to predict the arrival of her periods. The stress of leading two double lives had made them terribly inconsistent. 

Another unfortunate side effect of the red fairy was the excruciating need for sex. 

Marinette taps her pen on the spiral of her notebook, re-reading her paragraph of notes for the third time, this time determined to actually absorb some knowledge. 

She was having a hard time focusing, struggling to think about anything other than Chat Noir and his crush on her. On top of that, her cramps were apparently taking no mercy.

At least last night Chat seemed to have taken on a different point of view. He told her to make a move on Adrien. 

Marinette stifles a laugh, trying not to draw attention in the quiet classroom. 

_He’s so silly. Was he trying to be her wingman?_

She shifts her gaze from her papers to the blond sitting next to her. He seems to be breezing through the worksheets no problem. He’d always been smarter than her. 

“Stuck?” 

He must’ve noticed her staring. 

“More like I haven’t even started,” Marinette lets out an embarrassed sigh. She ignores the light flush on her cheeks. 

_‘NO, no being flustered’_ she mentally scolds herself. 

“Study after school? I’ll show you my notes,” Adrien’s lips turn up into a gentle smile. 

“Please,” Marinette leans down, pressing her forehead against the cool desk, praying that it might unfog her brain. And that maybe it might settle the heat between her legs. 

No matter how many years passed by, Adrien would always be capable of sending butterflies fluttering to her stomach...and elsewhere. 

Now that she was a delicately experienced young woman, it was hard to ignore the electric jolts of prurience sent through her body every time they made eye contact. 

She lets out a groan, a little too loud for the still room. 

“Ms. Dupain-Cheng,” Mr. Allard sends her an exasperated sigh from the front of the class.

“Yes?” She sits up straight in response, shivering at the stern tone of his voice. 

“Bring your work up to the front of the class, let’s see what you’ve done,” The teacher leans back in his chair, his cold glare peeking through round glasses. Marinette squeezes her eyes shut, pushing her chair back with a screech before peeling her blank paper off the table. She can already imagine the phone call home to her parents. 

In her defense, she didn’t need physics to be a fashion designer. 

She can feel burning eyes pressing into her back as she nears Mr. Allard’s desk, preparing herself to be berated for her lack of effort. She stares at his open palm for a moment before surrendering her worksheet

“Marinette.”

She presses her lips together at the way the teacher’s voice spikes in disappointment. 

“I-” She tries to come up with an excuse. “Sorry.” 

_How was she supposed to explain to him that she understood virtually none of what was leaving his mouth half the time? And how was she supposed to explain to him that she had no time to study?_

Her fingernails bite into her palms as she stands before him not knowing what’s coming next. 

“Monsieur Allard, Marinette and I can go over today’s lesson after school,” Adrien speaks up from the back of the classroom, his jade eyes glancing at Marinette. She winces, turning away to watch Mr. Allards reaction. 

“Fine, I expect to see your binder next class. With the work all finished.” 

He gives her a grumble of dismissal. 

Marinette returns to their desk, the familiar scorch of embarrassment on her cheeks. She slumps back down in her seat, not even daring to look at Adrien even though she owed him a big thank you. She’s certain that she would stutter if she tried to say anything. 

_“You should ask him out, see what happens.”_

Marinette cringes, turning her head to face the window. Her eyes trace the outline of the rooftops as she tries not to think about anything. Her attention is snagged at the sight of a chimney. She almost chokes as she finds herself being pulled back in time by three nights. 

_Was that THE chimney?_

_Her head had fallen back against the bricks of said chimney with a satisfying thunk as Chat Noir had finished her off for a second time in seven minutes._

She still has a bruise. 

_Then,_ if she remembers right, _he had pulled her up, his hands underneath her thighs, until she was straddling his hips. Then he had ground himself against her until she was seeing stars._

Her back is still etched with scratch marks from the rough texture of the uneven bricks. 

Her fingers subconsciously trace a path down her neck, touching each and every spot he had marked. It was all flooding back. 

_The way his nails had dug into her ass, the way she had arched against him, the way he had thrusted into her… and then he’d kissed her._

The butterflies in her stomach practically wither at the memory. He had kissed her a little too passionately. 

Even with the anxiety of his repressed feelings and possible future resentment, Marinette finds herself easily drawn back into the fantasy. 

_Merde._

Sex, Sin, and Chat were on her mind like gum on the bottom of her shoe.

Especially after the reveries of last night. 

She would have to give him something to gripe about the next time they met. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh Marinette...


	3. Major to Muddled

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our two muddled leads avoid their feelings...what else is new

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a little short! I spent a while revising it, I hope you enjoy!!! :)

“Thanks for the tutorial. But please remind me why I took AP physics again?” Marinette says in exasperation, pushing passed the school library doors.

“Because you didn’t want to leave me all alone for the whole year?” Adrien grins in response. 

“That’s right, it’s because i’m the best,” Her voice is full of sarcasm. 

Practically all of Adrien’s classes were advanced placement, at his father’s request of course. 

That meant that Nino and Alya and pretty much all of his other friends would only see him at lunch. Except for Marinette. She was smart enough to be placed in a few. 

“Monsieur Allard hates me,” She groans, adjusting the strap of her backpack. 

“No he doesn’t,” Adrien replies. 

_ No one could hate her.  _

“Okay Mr. Straight-A-Student,” Marinette shoots him a pouty look. Adrien finds himself blushing.

He had always admired her ability to exchange sallies with her friends, having not been one of them in the past. She had always seemed so uncomfortable around him. Thankfully, she seemed to like him a little more these days. 

“You do pretty good yourself,” He fights the blush on his face. 

He always feels queasily shy whenever Mari praises him. 

“Right…” She rolls her eyes, knowing full well that she would always be more than a few paces behind him when it came to academics. “Thank you for your help, Adrien.”

Something about the way she says his name makes his breath hitch. Adrien has found himself often flustered around Marinette. It was almost like the rolls had reversed as they grew. 

She used to be so shy, and now, it was him. 

She had always been brave, smart and kind, but it had become more apparent and obvious as of recently. 

Adrien just keeps noticing new things to adore about her.

They’d been spending more time together. Their relationship had blossomed significantly over the past year. Really, it had begun when she had started dating Luka. 

“I’m sorry I’ve been so off my game,” She laughs a little. Still, he finds a hint of an unidentifiable emotion behind her words. “I’ve been a little distracted.” 

He stops walking to dish her a strange look. 

“Marinette, I'd do anything for a friend like you. There’s no need to apologize,” He looks her in the eyes. She plays off her embarrassment with a smile. 

“Besides, I like spending time with you, it gets me out of the house.” He makes an attempt to ease her guilty conscience. 

“In that case, feel free to teach me all the physics I need for  _ terminale _ ,” She finally cracks her real award-winning smile. “Come on, I’ll walk you home.” She nods her head in the direction of his house. 

★

Marinette collapses on her chaise. She wonders if Adrien had caught on to her nervousness. Ever since she had re-written Adrien as a friend in her mind, she found herself borderline capable of acting like she has more than two brain cells in his presence. 

“Tikki,” She groans, her voice muffled by her throw pillow. “I’m a mess.”

“You’re not a mess, you’re a teenager. You’re just figuring everything out.” Tikki’s voice sounds. Marinette keeps her face pressed into the pillow, not exactly feeling cheered up by her kwami’s sage advice. 

“You’re doing the best you can with your unique situation,” Tikki reminds her. 

“I still think it was a bad idea,” Marinette turns onto her back, throwing an arm over her eyes. “Starting this whole ordeal with Chat…”

“But you’re enjoying yourself, aren’t you?” Tikki questions. 

“When I'm in the moment, yes,  _ majorly _ . Afterwards, I feel like shit,” She groans again. “I feel like I’m toying with his feelings,” She sits up. “And that’s the last thing I want to do.” 

“You’re both mature now, Marinette. He knows that his feelings aren’t mutual, you just have to trust that he can recognize that. After all you’ve given him plenty of time to oppose or reject your...situation.” Tikki floats towards her. 

“Right…” Marinette chews the inside of her cheek anxiously. “It still feels wrong. It’s supposed to be without feelings.”

“Is this a you problem, or a Chat problem? Are  _ your _ feelings what you’re worried about?” Tikki asks the question Marinette was dreading. 

“It’s...both?” She feels just as confused as before the conversation started. “I’m scared that I’ll hurt him. What if I do...and then I lose him?” 

“You always come back to each other, and always closer and stronger than before,” Tikki states a fact. 

It was true. They always did come back stronger. 

“I guess.” Marinette still isn’t satisfied with her emotions towards what's been going on. 

“You made rules, and so far, I think they’re doing a good job of keeping you both safe.” Tikki nods once, proud of Marinette’s responsibility. 

“If he gets hurt, I’m going to get hurt,” She sighs. “I love him. He’s the best partner I could ask for.” 

“You say you love him as a friend. But do you love him as something else?” Tikki recites Marinette’s constant inner monologue. 

“I don’t think so. I might be over Adrien, but…” Marinette pauses. “I’m still not  _ really _ over Adrien.” 

“That’s understandable.” Tikki comforts her. 

It was embarrassing for Marinette to admit. She  _ was  _ supposed to be over him. She’d even made sure that Alya and Nino and the rest of her friend group knew. Deep down, she still knew that were he ever to express any feelings back, she would be ecstatic. 

As the years drew onward, she had grown out of her childish infatuation. With time she came to the realization that as perfect as Adrien appeared, he wasn’t. He made her feel sick with anxiety, which she now understood was not right.

“I’m working on it. I dated Luka for a while, that was good,” She says awkwardly. “I really miss him. I wish it had worked out.”

Marinette looks to the ground, feeling sad and nostalgic. 

“You don’t have to prove that to me. It was just a matter of the timing.” Tikki agrees. 

“Even if it still hurts, I think it really helped me realize that Adrien wasn’t the only person I could ever love,” She nods. “I just don’t know if that concept applies to Chat.” 

“Well Marinette, you don’t have to figure it all out now. Sleep on it.” Tikki advises. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good advice Tikki, hopefully it'll all work out...


	4. Gold Hair & Green Eyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette's mind is rampant with lust and agony. Chat Noir doesn't know what's coming...maybe it'll be him

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Double upload tonight! Hope you all enjoy! Thank you thank you so much for the support thus far!

Marinette’s ribs ache bone deep as she lies awake. 

Tikki’s advice was proving to suck ass. As much as Marinette was trying, she couldn’t fall asleep. 

Mari stares at the ceiling in agony, praying for her side to stop cramping and wishing her brain would quiet down for just a moment. 

_Chat._

He’s all she can think about. His gold hair, his toned figure, and his green eyes. 

If she hurt him, she wouldn’t be able to forgive herself.

Everytime they got together she had a burning urge to remind him that the whole ordeal was platonic. 

She groans as another cramp surges beneath her chest, raging as if to match her emotions. 

The air is hot and heavy, teasing her skin as she tosses and turns trying to get comfortable. 

Marinette was finding it impossible to prevent herself from reliving the previous night. 

_“You should ask him out, see what happens”...what a silly thing to say._

Maybe Chat Noir really was working his way over her. 

_Why did that feel kind of scary?_

Marinette shuffles again, banishing her sheets to the foot of the bed. 

_Adrien Agreste…_

Her attention suddenly seems to slip to the other green eyed blond in her life. 

She curses herself for breaking her little personal pact. She wasn’t supposed to be thinking about him, especially as anything more than friends. 

He’d made it clear that that was the only way he would ever think of her. 

Still Marinette couldn’t help dreaming about him from time to time. 

_A girl can still admire, right?_

Adrien had always been gorgeous, but as of late he was purely addictive to look at. 

Sitting next to him in three classes was proving to be a cumbersome distraction. 

The gods must have squandered an unfair amount of beauty when they were creating him. They sent him to earth to live as a divinity amongst an abundance of unadorned bodies. 

On the other hand, Marinette felt the same way about Chat Noir. 

She still resents him for getting...dare she say, _hot_ , towards the end of her highschool years. 

Now when he flirts, she finds it best not to look directly at him. That way she at least has a fighting chance against the blush that never fails to creep up her cheeks. 

Before Marinette gets too enveloped with her lusting, a gentle breeze begins blowing through her skylight. 

She all but moans in relief, finally feeling comfortable enough to drift off. Her eyelids grow heavy, her jaw unclenches and her legs relax. 

The allure of sleep was now taking over her yearning for the two young men.

Falling asleep was always the best part of the day, so finally, as it’s happening Marinette feels content. Ready for a night of pure nothingness before another day of chaos. Marinette’s consciousness is finally ebbing away, her thoughts clear and concise, her constant scale of justice finally settling for the night…

**_Boom_ **

Marinette is back awake in full snap at the perfidious sound. 

Rattled awake, she looks around her room, finding Tikki on a nearby pile of clothes. 

She takes a moment to settle her heart rate before peering out the window, already certain she isn’t going to like what she sees. 

“Tikki,” She yawns. “ _Transforme-moi_.”

★

Adrien jolts awake, sitting up right in a matter of milliseconds. 

For a moment, he looks around. Confused as to what’s going on. His room is dark, hot and humid. Nothing different. 

_So what woke him?_

He sits in idle confusion, pondering dumbly before a second jarringly painful sound rips through the air. 

“Plagg,” He’s full of a reflexive sense of duty. “ _Transforme-moi._ ”

  
  


…

  
  


“M’Lady,” Chat Noir drops down, finding a spot to crouch next to his partner. She looks angry, her expression perfectly matching the close by gargoyles. 

“It’s not an attack, it’s a bank robbery,” Her brow furrows. 

“So it’ll be a quick cat fight?” Chat peers over his ledge. Ladybug ignores him, continuing on with her synopsis. 

“I think they tried pouring explosives into the keyhole,” She’s highly unamused. “It’s an old bank, it must have a small iron vault in the back.”

“So we have a few cat burglars?” He quirks an eyebrow. 

“Three,” She specifies. 

Her raven tresses, which were normally done in a ponytail or pigtails, are let loose. They cascade over her shoulders in messy waves. Under her eyes are light dark circles, hinting at a night of unrest. 

“Okay Chaton,” Her tone seems to lighten just a little. “You think we can make this quick? I’m about to drop dead.” 

He grants her a serious nod, still paired with a grin. 

  
  
  
...★...  
  


“I swear, these villains have the worst timing,” Marinette confesses, draped over a rooftop lounger. The adrenaline of the fight has her rigged with unbearable alertness.

There was no falling asleep now. 

“I can barely sleep, this summer heat is unbearable. The humidity is so grounded and drenching, I feel like i’m suffocating.” 

“Are you sure that’s the only thing keeping you awake?” Chat Noir teases. It takes her a moment to figure out what he’s implying. 

“ _Tais toi_ .” Marinette scowls beneath her mask. “Telling you I had a thing for Adrien Agreste was _not_ an invitation to be teased.” 

“But it’s so a _mew_ sing,” Chat pursues her blush. 

“So you wouldn’t mind if I told you he could fuck me senseless?” Marinette says, auditioning for his little game. 

Chat swallows audibly. 

“Thought so,” She concludes. 

Chat was looking at her in that way again. His eyes feral and full of hunger. Marinette remembers her little thought from physics class. 

“I stand by it, you should tell him. How could he deny you?” He finally speaks, his voice splintering a little mid sentence. 

“ _Ne fout pas dans la merde_ , Chaton. I think we have a pretty sweet arrangement,” Mari elbows him in the side a little too hard. He rubs his ribs as he looks her over. 

“Well why not?” He continues to prod. 

Marinette takes a deep breath, realizing that he isn’t going to drop it. She sits up.

“Alright _emmerdeur_ , i’ll do it.” She leans towards him, the eye contact is chilling. “But you have to go first. Talk to Lily-Rose Depp. Get her number or something. I can’t very well leave you all alone.” 

If he was so hell bent on being her wingman, she’d make it difficult. 

“Is this a challenge?” Chat Noir raises his eyebrows in interest. 

“Fuck yeah it is.” She nods once. 

The pair of heroes had always been deadly competitive. Never turning down a challenge, always vaulting over obstacles. That’s what made them such a good pair. 

“Have fun in the States,” Mari leans back on her hands in satisfaction, knowing she had won already. 

The grumpiness of being assaulted awake was now fully gone. 

“You’re right,” Chat Noir models an exaggerated sigh. “Guess you’re stuck with me. I’m all yours.” 

“Bummer,” She rolls her eyes. “Well, at least you know how to use your mouth.” 

A wheeze escapes Chat’s lips. Marinette giggles at the way his eyes widen. Still, he’s swift to recover.

“You know,” Chat Noir pauses, assuring her attention is on him. “The blond hair, the green eyes…”

“What are you insinuating?” Marinette cocks an eyebrow. 

“I mean, some would say there’s a resemblance between him and I,” Chat licks his lips. 

“Too bad he’s too busy to be a superhero,” Marinette smirks at his comment. He was mildly correct, they did look alike. “You know, if you want sex, just ask. No need to dance around the question.” 

“I wasn’t,” Chat jumps to his own defense. “I wasn’t trying to start something.” 

“Just teasing,” She whispers softly, a smile spreading across her lips. “I’m on my period anyways.” 

_Time to make sure he suffers the same distracting fate that she did._

★

Adrien tries to violently breathe his blush away. Still in distress by the casualty of her innuendo. 

“ _Vous êtes déjà excité?_ ” Ladybug raises her eyebrows, a smile that makes Adrien’s blood pressure drop spreads across her lips. 

He couldn’t very well deny it, the proof was in his pants. 

“I’m flattered,” She leans towards him slightly. He wishes he had something witty to say, but the way she's eyeing him has him speechless. Her eyes drop again, then return to his with a smile so evil it has him a little terrified. 

“Like I said, that mouth is good for more than stupid jokes and banter... maybe mine is too,” She stuns him with her words. He swallows the dryness in his throat, staring right back into her eyes with a mighty fearful look. 

“I could...return the favour, if you’d like?” Her ears go red and her brazen facade falters only for a moment. Adrien is barely able to nod his head. 

Ladybug smirks at his eagerness. 

“I was thinking about you earlier,” She says, her voice slightly sing-songy. 

“You were?” His attention is piqued. He knows full well that this isn’t a love confession. But he can’t help but entertain the idea that _she_ was thinking about him. 

“Yes.” She leans forward, her fingers tracing from his neck to the point of his shoulder. 

Adrien almost finishes in his pants at the thought. She’s practically on his mind 24/7. So to hear that she feels the same...well that’s just pure rapture. 

“ _Plagg, detransforme-moi,_ ” He barely sounds the magic words. In a flash of green, his hero get up dissipates. He had already disguised his eyes with his faux mask before coming to patrol. Hopefully it doesn’t come off like he was expecting something. 

With him sitting in his pyjamas, she slips a leg over his lap, joining him on his padded lounger. 

“You’re always so good to me, Chaton,” Her lips ghost his neck as she straddles his lap. Adrien rolls his head back, tingles shuttering down his spine. In gentle play, she nips at the skin just above his collar, teasing the nerves with her incisors. Maybe he has a thing for praise. Especially when it comes from her. 

“So, I think I owe you a little thank you…” Her voice carries off as she sits back on her haunches, straddling his knees. 

“You don’t owe me anything,” He leans back on his hands, wanting to savor the view of her before him. She doesn’t respond, instead she smiles, her nimble fingers dipping beneath the waistband of his cotton pants. She traces the hollow of his hip bones. 

Adrien watches her fascination. For the first few times after they’d agreed to her proposal, they had spent hours exploring eachothers bodies. Finding out exactly what exilicited groans and moans. 

Still, she was entertained by every dip and curve of his muscles. 

Three years of running rooftops and fighting crime had graced the pair with strong bodies. Ladybug had filled out in her thighs and hips, but her waist was still youthfully slim. She had long legs and a toned stomach and arms. Adrien was certain that he could find something new to admire each time he looked at her. 

As for him, he was lean and muscular. He had broad shoulders and a narrow waist. 

It was safe to say they were good looking, especially together. 

In the three weeks that they had been performing, Ladybug had never given him a blowjob. He wasn’t going to sit there pretending that it had never crossed his mind, but still, he was more than happy going along with whatever she had planned. 

“You’ll need to show me what you want me to do,” She looks up at him as she continues to stroke haphazard patterns along his waistline. “But, in order for that, I think these need to come off.” 

Adrien raises his hips, allowing her to slide his pants down. There was something so errotic about her wanting to please him. 

“Tikki, _detransforme-moi_ ,” She speaks. 

“Were you planning this?” Adrien’s eyes widen at the sight of her mask already fitted around her eyes. 

“If I say yes?” She offers him a coy smirk. Before Adrien has a moment to answer, she wraps her bare hand around him. Adrien sucks in a breath through clenched teeth, aching for more friction. 

“Tell me how it feels,” She strokes her thumb across the sensitive skin, causing Adrien to let out a strained groan. 

“ _Merde,_ ” He hisses, which is tell enough. In a slow frustrating tempo, she pumps her hand, enjoying every little sound that pushes past his lips. She repeats the motion, once, twice more before bowing her head, bending at the waist. 

In pure instinct, trying to retrieve more whimpers and whining, she presses her tongue against him. 

Adrien all but crashes at the sensation of her hot wet tongue. 

“Ladybug…” His eyes roll back, certain he isn’t going to make it out alive. He grips the soft cushion, trying anything he can to prevent himself from gripping her hair. 

_Was she trying to kill him?_

She tries again, licking up from the bottom to his tip, lapping at the pearl of precum threatening to dribble down his length.

His muscles are pulled taut as she moans. 

_Was she enjoying this too?_

“Please,” The word barely escapes his mouth. She looks up at him through lowered lashes, ensuring that she has a good view as she opens her mouth, hollowing her cheeks to take him in. She begins a cycle, bobbing her head up and down, laving her tongue along the back of his length. She stays mindful of her teeth as she continues her satiating movements. 

Adrien can’t hold himself still any longer. His hand flies to the back of her neck, steadying her motions. 

They groan in perfect unison as he tightens his grip. He gently tugs her hair, keening as she adds her hand to the mix, ensuring that every part of him is stimulated. Ladybug moans as he pulls on her raven locks, enjoying the pressure drawing at her scalp.

Her eyes stay locked on his, though he’s having a hard time keeping them open, he wouldn’t dare miss the view. 

“Ladybug,” His entire body shudders. Her tempo increases at her name. Adrien’s chest swells in anticipation. “ _Merde_ , I’m-”

He can’t resist his body any longer. His back arches as he climaxes, sending warmth down her throat. She lets him go with a pop on the next upstroke, watching him gasp as she licks her grinning lips clean. 

“Fuck…” He growls as she goes back down to lap up any fluids she missed. Adrien presses his cool hands over his eyes, trying to process the past five minutes. 

Her dexterous fingers peel his hands away, making sure he’s looking into her eyes as she speaks. 

“I love it when you make that face,” She grins, running a hand through his soft gold locks. Adrien can’t answer, his forehead still beaded with sweat as she returns his pants to their rightful spot. 

“You are going to make someone very happy one day,” He finally mumbles after a minute of recovery. 

“Well lucky you, you get to be my practice until then.” Ladybug stretches back out on the chair next to him. 

“Wait,” He reaches for her hand. She looks at him in confusion, before she stands. Adrien pulls her down beside him. 

“What’s this?” She chuckles as he tucks his nose into the crook of her neck. 

“Just let me savor this for a second,” He mumbles. Ladybug seems to relax into his touch, stroking his blonde hair until his chest starts to rumble in a soft purr. 

“Feeling okay, Chaton?” Her voice is full of nervousness. Probably scared he’s about to confess his love. He probably would have, save for the fact that he knows it would drive her away. 

“Tired,” He says softy, enjoying the way her fingertips pass over his scalp with care. 

“That makes two of us,” She pulls back, sitting on his lap for a moment. “We should probably get home before our alarms go off.” 

“Yeah,” Adrien agrees, still wishing she would’ve stayed still for a little longer. 

She pulls Adrien up, both transforming back into heroes. 

“Too bad, you looked so purr-etty in your pyjamas,” He sends her one of his serial smirks. 

“Don’t try and charm me,” She rolls her eyes, the ghost of a smile on her lips. 

“Goodnight Bugaboo,” He looks over his shoulder. 

“Night,” She replies before he disappears into the depths of the city.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The summer heat isn't the only thing getting downright hot...
> 
> Forgive me if the french is incorrect or a little wonky! I do speak french, but the Canadian kind haha.


	5. On Her Knees

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This time Adrien struggles in the aftermath of an unforgettable night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year everyone! The amount of support I'm receiving is baffling! Thank you! I can say with certainty that reading your comments is always one of the best parts of my day! I love you and i'm sending well wishes for this upcoming year!

Marinette makes it back just in time to hit her alarm before it starts it’s usual meltdown. She isn’t as tired as earlier, banking on the double dose of adrenaline to get her through the day. 

Protecting Paris and sex was apparently all she needed to keep running. 

_ For a first time blowjob...Marinette had to applaud herself. _

“Tikki,  _ detransforme-moi. _ ” 

Marinette barely has time to acknowledge her kwami as she crawls across her bed. She flurries down her ladder, pausing in front of her vanity to check her reflection. 

“I look like a zombie,” She groans, noticing how her eyes seem to droop in fatigue. 

“Don’t you have that english vocabulary test today,” Tikki floats nearby as Marinette rummages through her closet for something to wear. 

“ _ Putain, _ ” Marinette’s head shoots up. “I totally do, don’t I?” 

Tikki sounds unimpressed. 

“I think I have all the words down. Besides Mme. Rayne said that it was all multiple choice. Maybe I can wing it,” Marinette cools her nerves for a moment, surfacing a black hoodie and some baggy blue jeans. There was no time to get fancy. 

Tikki doesn’t scold her about time management, picking up on the fact that Marinette is already spinning too many plates. 

That didn’t mean Marinette was in the clear. Tikki could still lecture her about other things. 

“Are you sure you should continue sleeping with Chat until you’ve figured things out?” She asks. 

Marinette pauses, on her knees in a pile of clothes. She stares up at the tiny god. 

“I’m not sure of anything Tikki, that’s the whole problem,” She shoves her head through the hoodie, not bothering to take off her cotton tank top. 

“Also, you were the one telling me that it would all work out,” Marinette huffs, pulling her jeans up to her bellybutton. 

“I know, but you were right too. Chat does seem to be…” 

Marinette is already not liking where Tikki’s sentence is going. 

“Tikki,” She stands with her hands on her hips, brushing a few fingers through her bangs to fan them out. “I am going downstairs, eating breakfast, going to school, and then I promise you, i’ll put some thought into this whole disorder.”

★

Adrien walks into English, gripping the strap of his bag. 

“Why are you so glowy?” Marinette looks amused as he takes his seat at the bench desk. 

“Głowy?” He raises his eyebrows, unpacking his pencils and notebooks. 

“Yeah,” She stretches her arms out in front of her. “You’ve had that dopey grin on since you walked in.”

“I guess I just woke up on the right side of the bed?” He shrugs, trying to conceal his flush. 

“Lucky you. I barely got any sleep. It’s too hot,” She yawns. 

“Yeah, how are you wearing a hoodie right now? I’m sweating just looking at you,” Adrien admits. 

“I had ten minutes to get ready this morning,” She groans. “I’m regretting my outfit already.” 

“Okay class, put all your notes away, I only want to see a pencil or pen on your desk,” Mme Rayne commands as she starts to circle the class, distributing the test to students who are ready. 

“Wish me luck,” Marinette smiles at him. 

... 

Adrien stares down at the characters on his sheet, not focused enough for his brain to process them. His eyes wander over the possible answers, trying to pick one. 

Marinette stirs beside him, bouncing her knee as she looks over her test for a third time. His eyes stay on her as she pulls her hair back into a low ponytail. 

He watches her stand up, nearing the front of the class to turn her work in. 

“ _ Bon travail _ ,” Mme Rayne praises her. Marinette returns to her seat, her eyes bright and happy. She wiggles a little, getting comfortable before crossing her arms to rest her head against. 

_ Focus Adrien, you do this all the time. You have to speak english at galas and events all the time.  _

He shakes his head softly, trying to forget his midnight escapades. Well...only until he finishes the test. 

**Many students screaming in the hallway creates...**

  * **pandemonium**


  * dally


  * vast


  * metacognition



Okay...he knew that one, the word was practically the same in french. Adrien circles answer ‘ _ a _ ’, relaxing a little as he reads through the next few questions. He finds himself capable of working through them with a focused eye. 

He was used to speaking in english, whether that be to communicate with his father’s coworkers, or whether that be on the news with Ladybug at his side. 

He’d been interviewed in all sorts of languages. 

Adrien nears the last question, flooded with relief. 

  
  
  


**_Which word does not fit in this sentence?_ **

**I love my best friend because they are so _________**

  * **amicable**


  * empathetic


  * compassionate


  * pretentious 



Adrien’s mind immediately wanders. The question definitely reminds him of someone. He circles ‘ _ d _ ’ noting that the three other options were perfect descriptors of why he loved Marinette. 

He turns to her, smiling as he remembers when the first became friends. 

She was amazing. Always has been. 

Even if they didn’t get along right off the bat, he’d always admired her. 

She was so thoughtful, and caring and... _ her shirt.  _

His eyes widen, securing on the shirt being revealed beneath her sweater. 

_ That’s the same one Ladybug was wearing.  _

His eyes seemed locked on her. 

_ She’s wearing the same light blue cropped tank top. _

Adrien swallows hard, probably too loud, drawing Mari’s attention. 

She gives him a funny look. 

‘Are you feeling okay?’ She mouths. Adrien feels ghostly pale. 

He nods a little too slow, probably making her even more suspicious. 

_ ‘Stop it Adrien…’ _ He warns himself. It’s too late, his imagination is running wild and the rational part of his brain has absolutely no chance of catching up. 

_ She has the same hair color.  _

_ And light freckles. _

_ And the same cute nose.  _

He can’t stop himself from imagining Marinette on her knees…

“Can you bring this to the front of the class,” His skin is burning beneath his collar. 

“Sure,” She smiles back, reaching over to his half of the desk. 

_ There was no way he could stand up right now. Nope. His lower half was staying hidden beneath the desk for at least a few minutes.  _

Marinette hesitates for another second, cocking an eyebrow before sauntering off towards Mme Rayne’s desk. 

_ Calm down.  _

He mops a sweaty hand through his hair. 

_ Why was he thinking about Marinette like that?  _

_ And, why was it causing such a morbidly embarrassing reaction?  _

Adrien wasn’t blind, obviously Marinette was attractive. She was powerful, funny, smart and pretty. But she was a friend. 

_ Right _ ? 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Adrien, you're about three years late honey


	6. Saved by the Bell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien has a crisis. That's it lol

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for reading! I think I die a little inside every time you guys comment, my cheeks hurt from smiling hahha! Love you all!

Adrien had practically bombed it out of the class as soon as the bell had rung. 

Leaving Marinette wondering... _ had she done something wrong?  _

She sits on the bench in the school courtyard chewing her thumbnail. 

_ Was he mad at her? _

Her heart is beating like a blacksmith’s hammer. 

On top of her panic, her lack of sleep was starting to catch up. Marinette was feeling as tired as a worn out shoe. 

“Tikki, did I do something?” She speaks softly to the kwami nestled into the confines of her school bag. 

“Mari!”

She’s cut short of an answer. 

“Where’s Sunshine?” Alya and Nino approach. They look as youthful as ever, their hands clasped together. Marinette doesn’t have to force a smile, instead one naturally spreads across her lips at the sight of the two sweethearts. 

“Yeah, where’s that dude?” Nino asks. 

“I actually don’t know,” Marinette stands, pulling her bag over her shoulder. 

“Really? You two are practically joined at the hip these days,” Alya grins. Marinette tries to force an expression that would remind her friend that she was  _ totally _ over Adrien. 

“He kind of just...ran?” Marinette bites her lip. “I hope I didn’t do anything.”

“Eh,” Nino shrugs. “It’s probably just Adrien being Adrien. His dad probably paged him or something.” 

“I’m sure he’ll text you later,” Alya brushes Marinette’s worry away. “Let's go eat.”

★

Adrien bangs his head against the stall door, once, twice, three times for good measure. 

He stands for a moment, giving a hard blink that he prays might help him think straight.

“Why are we hanging out in the bathroom?” Plagg grumbles. 

“Because I’m an idiot,” Adrien slaps a hand over his face.

“I know that, but why does that mean we have to hang out by a toilet?” Plagg rolls his eyes. 

“I love Ladybug, Marinette is a friend,” Adrien says as he opens the stall door.

Maybe he could convince himself. 

This had to be a one time thing, for the sake of his identity. All he’d done for the past three years was love Ladybug. 

And for those three years, Marinette was registered in his mind under the ‘Friend’ category.

_ But really, what did he know?  _

He could barely figure out the difference between platonic and romantic. Save for the fact that he knew he loved Ladybug, it was hard for him to decipher the difference. Having been quarantined from the world after his mother’s death, he had little time to learn. It wasn’t like his father was any help either, Gabriel’s relationship with Nathalie was more than confusing. 

Plagg mumbles something under his breath before floating back into Adrien’s school bag. 

“Marinette is a friend, and i’m supposed to love Ladybug.” His shoulders sink a little as he scrubs soap between his fingers. 

_ Three years of unrequited love.  _

_ Three years of rejection.  _

“Except I can’t love Ladybug-” His spiral is interrupted by his ringtone. 

He wipes his hands on his pants, slipping his phone from his back pocket. 

“Hello?” Adrien’s voice shakes a little, still wound up. 

“Dude where are you?”

★

Marinette bites down into a fork full of beet salad. 

“So?” Alya gives her boyfriend a look, sitting at the edge of her seat. Her curious nose for news definitely carried past her Ladyblog. 

“He’s coming, his dad needed him for something,” Nino takes his seat under their usual tree. The shade of the branches cast a web of shadows across the green trim grass.

“So I didn’t upset him? That’s a relief,” Marinette swallows her food. 

“Marinette,” Alya quirks an eyebrow. 

“I’m over him Alya, we’re friends. Period. For real this time,” Marinette scowls. Alya and Nino share a doubting look. “I’m serious.” She groans, stabbing another bite of salad in anger. “I even dated Luka, remember?”

“Oh yeah,” Nino tips his head forward. 

“Then you broke up a year ago, and still haven’t dated anyone since,” Alya nitpicks. 

“Alya,” Marinette frowns. “I don’t think I’m ready. That break up was tough.” 

“Oh Marinette,” Her friend leans forward, placing a hand on her shoulder. “I’m just teasing.”

“Don’t pay attention to Alya. We know that you’ve moved on,” Nino leans back on his hands. 

“Thanks Nino,” Marinette sighs. 

“Wait, why did you and Luka end things again? I thought you two had good chemistry.” Nino continues. 

“Uh, we do have good chemistry,” Marinette scrambles to find a way to avoid mentioning her hero life. 

Or the fact that she’s sleeping with someone else.

“You don’t have to tell me twice, Juleka has told me all about your  _ good chemistry _ ,” Alya laughs childishly. 

“Alya  Césaire !” Marinette chokes on a green leaf. 

“Come on Marinette, he lives on a houseboat, there’s not much soundproofing in the hull,” Nino adds on. 

“Stop it right now,” Marinette gives her friends a warning. They share another mischevious look. 

“ _ Oh Luka _ ,” Alya mocks. “ _ Oh Luka don’t stop. _ ”

Nino throws his head back in laughter as Marinette plasters her hands to her face, wishing the earth would open up and swallow her whole. 

“ _ Oh, harder Luka… oh merde, _ ” Alya continues to make a scene. Marinette pulls her knees to her chest in embarrassment. She hears Alya taking a deep breath, going in for a third strike. Mari tenses in anticipation, waiting to be mocked. 

Finally she uncovers her eyes, unsure why the air had gone silent. 

“Hey,” Adrien stands across from her. 

“Hi,” Marinette barely whispers.

“Um, I’m sorry I ran off earlier Marinette,” Adrien joins them on the grass, finding a seat next to Marinette. He crosses his legs. 

“Don’t worry about it,” Marinette wheezes, her face brighter than the beets in her salad. 

“How much of that did you hear?” Nino stifles an outburst of laughter. 

“Everything passed, ‘ _ don’t stop _ ’.” Adrien can’t contain himself from sending Marinette a shit eating grin. 

★

Adrien is almost glad to be reminded of Marinette’s relationship with Luka. 

Maybe it would help him snap out of his weird impromptu infatuation. 

“Ugh, shut up!” Marinette sends him a gentle slap to the bicep, whimpering in ignominy.

“Hey that reminds me!” Alya jerks forward. “Juleka said he’s coming back to Paris tomorrow. Why don’t you rekindle things?” 

“Well...no, I don’t think that’s such a good idea,” Marinette’s sentence diminuendos until she’s just mumbling to herself.

“Why not?” Nino wraps an arm around Alya, pulling her against him. “You dudes were almost as cute as us.” The pair share a sweet smile. 

Marinette and Adrien both simultaneously fawn over the couple. Alya and Nino were always a nice reminder that things did workout...sometimes. 

Adrien had spent years dreaming of holding Ladybug’s hand, and taking her out for lunch, and basically anything else a normal couple did. 

“Well?” Alya snaps him back to reality with her prying voice. 

“Oh, well...umm I just-” Marinette clambers for an excuse. 

“Spit it out, Girl,” Alya takes a bite out of her sandwich.

“I’m kind of seeing someone,” Marinette bows her head, trying to keep things vague. 

Immediately she’s flooded with a barrage of follow up questions. 

Adrien winces as Alya stays attacking her with questions for the next minute until Nino finally pulls her back. Adrien can tell that Mari is grateful to escape without having to answer a single one. 

“Saved by the bell,” She jumps to a stand as the school bell rings. “Adrien.”

He hauls himself upwards, some emotion biting at the back of his brain that he doesn’t yet understand. 

_ Why did some part of him want answers?  _

“Please, let’s get out of here before she gives me the third degree,” She locks her elbow around his arm. He follows her towards the stairs. 

“Are you seeing someone?” Adrien asks before he can filter his words. The wrenching feeling in his gut could only be settled with an answer.

“Oh.” Marinette slips her hand away, her eyes are trained on the ground in front of her. “No, I was just saying that to get Alya off my back.” 

“Oh.” Adrien nods, slipping his hand into his pocket. 

_ Good.  _

He almost flinches as the thought occurs. 

“Hey, you didn’t eat lunch,” Marinette interrupts the beginning of another gyre of perplexing thoughts. 

“I’ll just eat something when I get home,” He shrugs. 

“No way!” Marinette scowls at him. “Why don’t we skip study break and stop by the bakery?”

“You’re parents are probably busy, and besides, my Father-”

“Come on!” Marinette tugs at his arm. “My parents always love seeing you. And I really need to change, I’m boiling in these jeans.”

_ Over the years his father had loosened up, maybe he wouldn’t mind. _

And even if he did mind, Adrien couldn’t say no to Marinette

“As long as I won’t be imposing.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sounds like we're leaning towards romantic, right Adrien?


	7. Dragged and Drowned

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! Thank you so much for all the kudos and support! I love you all!!!!!

Adrien sits on the Dupain-Cheng’s sofa. His heart speeds as Marinette thumps up the stairs. She runs a hand through her loose hair as she enters the room.

Adrien’s entire body tenses up. 

_ Why did he feel so sick? _

“Alright,” She approaches. “No skipping lunch Agreste, not on my watch,” Marinette snuggles up on the couch next to him, handing him a buttery croissant on a blue plate. 

She smells like sweet pastries, having just come from the bakery downstairs. Again, she flips her hair to one shoulder. 

His heart flutters, sinks, and then drags him down to drown all in the span of one second. 

“Thanks,” Adrien smiles shyly, his mouth watering at the sight of the flakey fluffy pastry. 

“Of course, I’ll feed you anytime,” Marinette crosses her legs, waiting for him to take a bite. 

“You spoil me,” He grins sheepishly before chomping into the croissant. 

He tries his best to act normal, whatever that means. 

Marinette leans back against the sofa, humming happily to herself. 

“There’s more, if you’re hungry,” Marinette declares, turning towards him. 

Her blue eyes meet his. Adrien curses himself for being so easily impressed, feeling like he’s betraying Ladybug for some reason, even though his heart should be more than free to roam. 

“Please,” Adrien is almost finished. His gaze wanders, trying not to look directly into her eyes, still feeling undeservedly guilty. 

“Of course, I’ll be right back.”

_ ‘Merde.’  _ Adrien thinks. Feeling like a jerk for paying such little attention to her while she was sitting next to him. 

He was already feeling a longing for her presence. 

Adrien takes a glance around the room, his eyes catching the glint of glass covering a family photo. 

He stands, nearing the frame. He feels light on his feet, and gruesomely energetic for someone who didn't get any sleep. 

Adrien is stung with an instant pang of jealousy at the image. 

Marinette is nestled in between her two parents. Tom and Sabine. 

They look happy. 

He zeroes in on Marinette. Her smile is gorgeous, like a ray of sunshine painted across her face. Her cheek is dimpled on one side. Even from a picture her smile starts a spreading warmth in his chest. And then it’s contagious. 

“Wait! Don’t look at that, it’s so embarrassing!” Marinette is suddenly at his side, turning the frame face down. 

“I think it’s endearing, and cute,” Adrien realizes the words slip from his mouth with ease. 

It feels right to say. 

“Don’t lie to me!” She lets out a pouty laugh. 

“I’m not.” He crosses his arms.    
“Now you’re just being mean,” Marinette mimics his posture. “Get away from that mortifying picture and go eat.” 

“I’m being sincere,” Adrien grins. His eyes catch the way her cheeks have deepened to a rouge. And _oh god_ , he can’t help himself. 

The urge to make her blush is frantically overwhelming as he corners her against the built-in bookcase. Marinette pauses, her eyes widened. 

There’s a solid few seconds where Adrien realizes he might’ve overstepped his boundaries. Then she smiles softly, reaching up and giving his shoulders a squeeze. 

“Adrien,” She doesn’t look him in the eyes. “You better stop saying things like that, and go eat.” 

She lets him go, giving him a gentle push in the direction of the kitchen. 

“I’m going to go get changed,” Marinette says quietly. “I’m a little hot.” 

★

Marinette closes the trap door behind herself. She tugs at her hair for a moment, hiding a silent scream. 

“Mon Dieu! Why does he have to do that Tikki!” Marinette exclaims, fanning her face in hopes to banish her returning blush. Even as her heart throbs she does a halfway decent job at remaining calm and controlled. Something she had learned over the years. 

“Do what?” Tikki soars up to calm Mari’s nerves. 

“Make me short circuit,” Marinette whines. She trudges towards her closet, sliding on a white linen jumpsuit. 

“Come on Marinette, push through. You’re...friends for life,” She groans to herself, opening the door to climb back down the ladder. 

“Wow with how quick you change you’re definitely a shoo in runway model,” Adrien is leaning against the back of the couch. 

“In that case you better watch out Agreste, I’ll be coming for your gig,” She nudges, her fluster disappearing at the banter. Her brain is set into autopilot, having years worth of practice with Chat Noir. 

“Then I’m in trouble,” He watches Marinette sling her bag over her shoulder. 

“Mhm, yep, you should start watching your back,” Marinette giggles. “Come on, let’s get back to school.” 

  
  


…

  
  


Marinette sits behind Nino feeling absolutely gutted. 

She stares at the back of Nino’s head, burning an imprint into her eyes as her brain works against her. 

_ Chat and Adrien.  _

She couldn’t seem to escape. She would forever be caught between the two. 

It felt like the universe was playing some wicked trick on her. 

“Hey,” Nino twists on his chair, turning to face Marinette. “Are you going to Juleka’s party tomorrow?” 

“Juleka is having a party?” Marinette replies in a hushed voice. She leans towards the front of her desk. 

“Yeah, Alya was supposed to tell you at lunch but you and Blondie kind of rushed off,” Nino whispers back. 

“Because she was assaulting me with questions,” Marinette rolls her eyes. 

“I’ll send you the details. You should totally come Dudette. I’ll make sure Adrien’s there,” Nino winks. Marinette flops back against her chair, giving him a pissy look before pulling out her phone. 

**Marinette: u going to the party?**

Her face lights up a little at the sight of the three dots on the button left of her screen. 

**Adrien: Party?? Also, u should be focused on class**

Marinette blows a silent laugh through her nose. 

**Marinette: U sound like my mom.** **Juleka is having a party tmr**

She sets her phone down for a moment, only to pick it right back up as soon as it buzzes. 

**Adrien: Have to ask my dad. R u going?**

**Marinette: I think so? Luka will probably be there. Idk how to feel about that...**

She chews on the end of her ballpoint pen, unapologetically glued to her phone, waiting for a response. 

**Marinette: I’ll go if you go**

She adds, smiling a little. 

**Adrien: Then count me in**

**Adrien: I’ll sneak out if I have to ;)**

_ Christ, not the winky face… _

Marinette hides a blush, pulling the collar of her jumper up over her nose. 

**Marinette: I’ll hold you to that !!**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay okay, I promise there'll be some action soon... I just crave character development


	8. Love and Escapism

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't believe how well this story is doing! Thank you all so so so much !!!

Adrien smiles at his phone, grinning stupidly at Mari’s message. 

He slips his phone back into his pocket, deciding to concentrate for a moment. 

Max was reading out to the class, meaning Adrien was up next. 

In a rush, his eyes skim the biology book before him, finding the right paragraph. He’s determined to follow along, not wanting his mind to slip back to Marinette or Ladybug. 

He could mull over his love life later, in private. 

“Adrien, you’re up,” Mr. Sardou sounds monotonous as usual. 

  
  


…

  
  


Adrien sits at the dinner table, pushing his food around in a lazy circle. His eyes glance up, only for a moment, unentertained by the empty room. The wood table seems to stretch on before him looking extra sad today. 

_Where was his father?_

Gabriel was supposed to come to dinner three times a week. Adrien had finally learned to toughen up, realizing that his father could only listen if he himself spoke up. He was still working on voicing his needs instead of keeping it all bottled up. Even if it was scary, Adrien now knew to ask. 

Speaking of, he was supposed to ask about the party. 

He fidgeted a little, not wanting to let Marinette down. 

He really wanted to be at that party, especially with her. 

Marinette was a crowd pleaser, you could bring her anywhere and she would make friends. 

“Adrien?” Nathalie pokes her head into the dining room. She glances down at her clipboard. 

“Yeah?” He already knows where this is going. 

His dad wasn’t coming. 

“Your father is in a meeting. He’ll move his schedule around. You’ll eat together tomorrow.” Nathalie gives Adrien a look that’s full of pity. 

“Actually,” He straightens his back anxiously. “I was going to go to a party with Marinette tomorrow.” 

The room is silent for a moment while Nathalie ponders exactly how to handle Adrien’s request. 

Gabriel liked Marinette. Adrien knew that. She was persistent, which was a trait his father admired. She was smart, responsible, and a wonderful designer. 

“I’ll let your Father know,” Nathalie looks a little uneasy with the idea. 

“I’ll be home by _24 hr._ ” Adrien promises. Nathalie gives a quick nod, her rigid facade sloping for just a moment to give Adrien a motherly smile. 

The door closes behind her and Adrien is left in the emptiness of the great dining hall. He pushes his plate back, drawing his phone from his back pocket. 

The tips of his fingers buzz as he mulls over what to text Marinette. He gazes down at his phone. 

_“Putain. It’s already 20 hr.”_

He was supposed to be at Notre Dame. 

★

Marinette walks around the cathedral’s spire. 

_“He is so fucking dead when he gets here.”_

She’d been waiting over thirty minutes and he hadn’t even answered her messages, meaning he wasn’t even transformed. That or he’d gotten in trouble again. 

_“Chill out.”_ She reminds herself. 

Still, she doesn’t like being stood up. 

She senses him before she sees him, the hairs on the nape of her neck buzz, standing straight up. 

“You’re late,” She turns towards her partner. She crosses her arms in annoyance. 

He stays crouching on the roof for a moment before reaching for her hand. 

Mari rolls her eyes, her arm going limp as he pulls it towards his lips. 

“ _Désolé ma belle_ ,” He presses a kiss to the back of her hand. 

“That’s not going to make up for me having to wait here for nearly an hour,” She pouts, forgetting to be angry. It was hard to stay mad at him, especially with all his little quirks and charms. 

“Sorry, dinner ran late,” Chat sighs, standing up. 

Marinette looks up at him, having to crane her neck to even make it up to his chin. 

“Did your dad eat with you?” Her eyes light up. 

“Nope,” Chat Noir shrugs. 

Mari knew it was a sensitive topic, and also a personal topic, so she didn’t continue. 

“Which side do you want?” She sticks her right arm out, cutting the city in half using her index finger. 

“Ladies pick first,” He recites as usual. 

“I’ll take the right side,” Marinette sticks to the script. 

She always took the right side, assuring that she would pass the bakery in the _21e_ _arrondissemen_ t. 

“ _Attendez, Chatton_.” She stops him before he takes off into the night. “I can’t make it to patrol tomorrow night.”

“Me neither, I was going to tell you later,” He grimaces. 

“It’s alright, don’t worry about it. I’ll get Bee to cover.” Marinette shrugs. 

“ _Bonne chance, restez en sécurité_ ,” Chat Noir sends her a wink before they part ways. 

…

Marinette lands with a thud. Her wrist stinging from an angry cat who, to her chagrin, also had sharp claws. 

At least the lady seemed happy to have her kitten back from the tree. 

_Sheesh_ usually she considered herself to be pretty good with cats. 

“Any trouble?” Mari finds her partner walking across his baton. It’s extended between two buildings like a high wire. She watches his focus as he makes his way back towards her. 

“Nope, all clear,” Chat noir slips over the metal railing, only to lean back against it. 

“That’s good to hear,” Marinette tucks her arm behind her back. 

“I did get to hold this really cute baby though,” Chat Noir smiles his dopey grin. 

“Yeah?” Marinette can’t help but get excited whenever he’s happy. 

“He was so cute,” Chat Noir continues to gush. 

“You’ve always been good with kids,” Marinette joins him against the railing, leaning her weight back. 

“Have I?” He raises his eyebrows. 

“Oh yeah. You’ll make a great dad. Assuming you want kids,” Mari smiles at him. It takes her a moment to realize how silent he’s gotten. 

His eyes are locked on hers and his breathing is slightly laboured. 

He breaks eye contact, letting his gaze wander to the sky. 

“Do you want kids?” His voice is a little strained. 

“I don’t know.” Marinette watches him carefully, trying to decipher the emotions behind his weak smile. “I used to.” 

“Used to?” 

“Yeah.” Marinette fights the urge to stay silent. He was always so vulnerable with her. “I thought I had my whole life planned out.” 

“Tell me more,” Chat turns back to her, forgetting whatever was getting to him. 

“Well,” She takes a deep breath. “I had everything planned around this one guy. I wanted three kids, a dog, and a big house. I even had their names picked.” She laughs. 

“That’s pretty cute,” Chat chuckles. 

“You mean pretty stupid.” Mari rolls her eyes. “I guess I realized that that guy wasn’t my whole world.” 

Chat Noir stays silent, making Marinette feel like an idiot. 

_Next time just keep your mouth shut._

“Maybe not. But it’s nice to dream sometimes,” He finally speaks. 

“That sounds like escapism.” Marinette looks up at the darkening sky. The days were getting longer. 

“What’s wrong with a little escapism?” He interrupts her busy mind. 

“Shouldn’t we just stay realistic? That way your heart doesn’t break when you come back from whatever false reality you’ve created?” Marinette meets his eyes again. “Why are you smiling?”

“Because, you’re being pessimistic.” He tilts his head. “I think of it differently. Who’s to decide what should and shouldn’t get people through the day. We’re all lucky in our own way, you know? I’m sure plenty of people dream of being superheroes. And we get to be.”

“But being a hero isn’t all that great. For instance, I barely have time for anything,” She rebutes. 

“You could find negativity in anything. But there are good things too,” Chat Noir stands up, wanting to get his point across. 

Marinette can’t argue with that. 

“What’s wrong with being a little naive and dreamy? It’s all harmless,” He continues. 

“Well what happens when that dream doesn’t live up to reality?” Marinette questions. 

“I guess you just have to know when you move on…” He bows his head a little, taking a moment to think. 

Marinette can tell when he’s thinking because he always scowls. He would look angry to anyone else, but Marinette knows he’s just deep in thought. 

“So, what do you think the people of Paris fantasize about?” Marinette smiles at him and his expression softens. “Must be money and fame.” 

“There are other things to want. Nicer things.” Chat shakes his head in opposition. 

“Like what?”

“Happiness, freedom, peace, and love.” He lists off a few. 

Marinette has to admire his romance for life and belief in good. He was everything she wasn’t. 

“Those are nicer things,” She stays easy. 

“I’m certain people are wishing for something like that right now.” He crosses his arms. “I’m sure someone is out there praying that their crush notices them. Or that they can escape the confines of their bedroom to go out to meet friends.” 

“Chaton, you see a nicer side of the world than I do,” She exhales, her shoulders sink as the air leaves her lips.

“It’s your fault. You make me,” His voice is pleasant. Like a lullaby. 

_Gosh,_ she’s tired _._

The vibrant blue LED lights underneath the hotel pool’s water seem to fade in and out in a rocking rythme. 

Marinette takes a few paces, sitting on one of the rooftop day beds. 

Chat and her always seemed to hangout on top of Mr. Bourgeois’s hotel. Since her young hero days Chloe’s father had extended his hotel business past Le Grand Paris. 

Marinette supposed he was gunning for a more modern look with his addition of rooftop patios. 

Although Mari was more of an old architecture fan, she had to admit the view was breathtaking.

“I’m so tired,” Marinette yawns, falling back against the soft cushions. 

“Is that your way of bidding me adieu, M’Lady?” Chat Noir’s voice sounds. Marinette is too tired to lift her neck and meet his eyes. 

“No, I’m just resting for a minute,” She whispers, knowing full well that he can’t hear her. His shadow is cast across her body as he stands in front of her, right by her knees. 

Marinette rolls to the side, granting him space. 

He pauses for a minute, before lying down next to her. 

★

Adrien breathes the moment in. The dark sky is tainted by a few city lights, still, a few stubborn stars peak through. His eyes trace her figure, focusing on the way her waist dips in, and then on her raven hair. 

He wants to touch her and to remind her how much she meant to the world. How much she existed in _his_ world, always. But he couldn’t. It hurt her every time. And then he wouldn’t see her for a week, she would disappear to doubt and think things over. He wasn’t allowed to look at her like that. 

But she was art. Created to be admired. So how could he be held accountable?

Lying right next to her, he feels so far away. 

The deep agonizing ache he feels for her, the incredulous high he travels when he’s around her, it’s furious, angry at the lack of action on his part.

And yet, she feels nothing for him. 

He was nothing more than a face she saw a few times a week. 

They work together in harmony and rely on each other, knowing they could end up in a graveyard everytime they take on a new fight. And still, she doesn’t love him. 

His eyes go blurry. 

She was right, the world was so black and white. Twisted and dark.

But she was the bright light that he saw at the end of the tunnel. The rest didn’t matter. He had faith, although it was waning, that she would love him too one day. 

She lets out a soft breath. 

“Your heart is beating so fast,” She says sleepily. 

She was right, he could hear it in his ears. 

He gazes fondly at the point of her shoulder, following the sharp line to her neck, and then her hair. 

It smelt like delicate vanilla. 

He was okay like this, admiring her from afar. Falling further and further into this violent love. Maybe it would kill him one day, but for now he was more alive than he’d ever been. And if it did kill him, it was a warm way to go. 

Her hand crosses over her side, reaching back for his. Adrien looks down at the gesture, feeling frozen. Finally he interlaces his own with hers. She gives it a little squeeze. 

“You did good today,” Her shoulders rise and fall in languid lulls. Each time, reminding him that she’s alive. 

She existed, although it defied everything ever written. She was perfect when perfection was told to not exist. 

His eyes are fixed on her gloved fingers. A solemn sadness resides in his chest.

“That was a hard fight yesterday,” Her voice is losing it’s battle against the alluring villain named ‘sleep’. 

He had to agree. The past few attacks and alarms had been exhausting. There was no escaping the crippling exertion that came paired alongside them either. He would be wracked with aches for the rest of the week. Fighting three robbers at once was a difficult task. At least he was there, resting, assuming another attack wasn’t already on it’s way. 

He was happy. Warm with adoration. 

His love feels timeless. Even when he feels stuck, he knows that he’ll make it out the other end. For her. For that chance that she would one day kiss him back with an undying, ardent, fluid love. 

Until then, he would hold her hand while she slept. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> idk about you...but i'm really excited for this party.


	9. Bon Travail

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi hi hi! Sorry this chapter is so short! I really wanted to upload again, but it's my birthday today so I've been busy the past few days! I'll get to writing pronto! 
> 
> This chapter lightly touches on Marinette's anxiety. To me, when I watch the show, it's apparent that Marinette is very anxious. She tends to spiral. Especially about love and relationships. Her worries tend to domino. I really relate to this and wanted to bring it up in a serious manner, unlike the show which uses it more as humor.
> 
> I'll definitely be going a little more in depth in future writing! I think this is a super important topic and I hope I can write it in a way that might be relatable to you all! 
> 
> I promise next chapter that it'll hopefully be a little more interesting ;)

Marinette awakes, her back is knotted in tight hot spots. Her shoulder aches down to the blade. She squints at the blushing sky in idle confusion. She inhales, feeling blissfully awake. 

Oddly denoting that she had slept well. 

_ But where was she?  _

_ And why was her hand so numb? _

She turns onto her back, following the shape of her arm. 

_ Putain.  _

That’s right, she was only supposed to close her eyes for a minute. And now the sun was rising without apology. 

She stares down at her fingers, caught between his. 

_ Bien, tu as vraiment fait une connerie maintenant, Mari. Bon travail, tu as vraiment fous la merde... _

That was broken rule number one.

_ No sleeping together.  _

This whole mutual unwinding was starting to get complicated. 

Especially when they both kept such separate sentiments. 

Marinette scrubs her other hand down her face in panic.

_ Should she wake him up? _

It would be a jerk move to just leave him on the roof. Besides, the hotel would probably be opening soon. She slips her hand from his.

“Chat,” She shakes his shoulder. “We have to go. Right now.” She sounds frantic as he sits up slowly. 

Marinette stands, her joints groaning in objection. 

“Come on Kitty, get up.” She wrings her hands and turns to face him. 

“It’s too bright out,” He whines, pressing his forehead against her navel to escape the rising sun. 

“No, nope, no cuddling. We just broke a rule. No need to break another,” Marinette steps back, her inner turmoil growing like a persistent weed. 

He grunts in response, still recovering from being woken up.

“I’ve got to bounce,” Marinette tries her best to hide her panic. 

_ If she just broke a rule, what was stopping her from breaking another. _

She could already imagine the whole situation crashing down around her. Like a house of cards. 

_ She was so screwed if anything went wrong. _

_ If she upset Chat, would he leave? _

_ If Chat left, would she be all alone.  _

“LB?” He busts her nervous breakdown. His voice is coarse from rest. 

“I’ll see you next patrol,” Marinette interrupts him before he can comment. And with that, she takes off. 

★

Adrien makes a face at himself in the mirror. 

He had six minutes to be in the car and he still couldn’t really tame his hair. 

He had slept like a baby, but his hair was properly glued to the right side of his head, and on the left it was sticking up in points. 

Currently though, it was not his biggest worry. 

Ladybug had seemed more than antsy. 

He combs through his locks a few times, only slightly fixing the problem. At least his hair looked more symmetrical. Still...he resembled Chat Noir. 

To say he was worried was an understatement. 

One of the things Adrien had learned about Ladybug through their tight knit partnership was her tendency to get anxious. 

He didn’t fault her for it, she had major responsibilities. After all, she really was the only one who could fix things when it came down to it. Her entire job was to think and come up with a resolution, so he couldn’t blame her for over-thinking. 

Her brain is usually what saves the day.

Adrien worries his bottom lip as he makes his way to the front steps. 

_ Would she disappear for a while to think things over? _

_ When would he see her again?  _

He knows that he has to reassure her. 

She still treated him like a love sick puppy. Adrien knew himself better than anyone, he could contain himself for her sake. He’d been doing it for years. 

Adrien slides into the car, wondering if he should call her. 

_ Would that just scare her further? _

Nowadays, when it came down to rationality, Chat Noir seemed to be taking the job. 

Adrien knows he can’t fix or cure her, but he can sure as hell try to soothe her, even if it’s just a little. 

He watches the streets of Paris pass by through the window. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to comment any suggestions, questions, concerns... Love you all !!!


	10. Doomsday

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi hi HI! Sorry this chapter is so short and sorry I haven't updated in a while, life has gotten very very busy! Luckily I'll have the next week or so to catch up!   
> At the end of the chapter I attached a few images of what I think the characters look like, all made on art breeder. I had too much fun fiddling with the genes on that site ahah!

Marinette bounces her leg up and down beneath the desk. 

The classroom is half empty. For possibly the first time in her life, Marinette is early. 

Her chest is coiled tight. She wonders if she’s breathing too loud. 

Her mind is racing through tens of thousands of thoughts, she knows none of them are rational, but for some reason the chain makes sense. 

If Chat Noir confesses his love to her she’ll have to reject him, once she rejects him he’ll give up his miraculous, once he’s gone she’ll have to fend off attacks on her own, she couldn’t do it by herself, so the fate of Paris was practically doomsday. 

Marinette inhales a strangled breath, imagining all sorts of horrible images. Paris crumbling, up in ashes, her family and friends fending for their lives…

She zeroes in on the buzzing of the ceiling fan, the constant irritating noise causes her muscles to freeze. She clenches her jaw around her thumb nail, the cat scratch on her arm stinging with an unapologetic vigor. 

The world kept moving, but she needed it to stop. Just for a second, just so she could breathe. 

Her heart bounds in her chest, pacing at a speed which she thought was impossible. Her palms are sweaty, her blood pounding in her ears, her feet full of pins and needles, and... _PUTAIN that cut is burning._

People are beginning to file in, but she needs to escape before the room grows any smaller. 

Her morning cup of coffee is beginning to rise up into her throat as she stands with achy legs, shoving herself swiftly towards the doorway. 

Her eyes jerk back and forth across the ground as she speeds through the hallways, twisting a twine of her hair around her index finger. 

There was no need to wait for doomsday when the world already felt like it was shriveling up beneath her. 

The numbness in her feet is beginning to spread across her skin like a hungry forest fire, swallowing up every inch of her it can get its hands on. 

_Bathroom, where’s the bathroom?_

The rambunctious noises in the halls sounded far off as Marinette reminds herself to breathe again. Small shallow breaths, one after the other, almost too fast. She can barely exhale before the next sip of oxygen chokes itself down her throat. 

_There._

She shoves her shoulder into the wooden door, gunning for a stall. 

Marinette is glad for the lack of sensation in her legs as her knees clack against the tiled floor. 

Her chin finds itself between either side of the toilet seat as her stomach contracts, expelling its contents entirely. 

She slumps backwards in sudden fatigue, feeling majorly defeated. 

“Marinette, you’re catastrophizing again,” Her tiny red personal counsellor appears from the pocket of her sweater. 

She can’t answer, her throat burning in acidity. 

She knows that she is a strong, articulate young woman, yet she simply loses it over the tiniest details. 

Maybe it was an amorous look from her partner or a slip up, like when she had dropped her textbook. It didn’t matter what it was, her brain could convince her that it would eventually lead to her downfall. 

It outraged her. 

She pulls her knees to her chest, hoping that her heart would start circulating the feeling back into her body. 

_She was majorly screwed._

★

Adrien settles in his seat, noting that Marinette’s notebook is sitting centred on her half of the desk. 

_But where was she?_

As if on cue, she entered. 

“You’re late Ms. Dupain-Cheng.”

“S-sorry,” She stutters.

She wrings her hands as she approaches. She looks pale, and irked. 

Adrien is unaware of the way he’s matching her expression. His concern is quick to fall from his personal life. Now, it’s focused on his friend. 

“A-are you feeling okay?” He says in a hushed voice. 

Marinette’s eyes widen for a moment, before she forces a smile. Still, her pupils are constricted. 

“Um, yeah. I’m fine.” 

Adrien frowns, but ultimately decides not to push her. Whatever she was nervous about could wait until she defrayed a little. There was no point in making it worse. 

...

Adrien spent the day remarking the quietness of his friend. She barely spoke. Barely said a thing. 

_“I have to do something after school.”_

One of the few sentences she had vocalized. 

_“So, don’t wait for me or anything.”_

She had tried to smile again, but it wasn’t working. 

  
  


“You’re acting weird. You’re off your game.”

Adrien looks up at Kagami. 

“Me?” 

“Yeah you,” She rolls her eyes. “It’s no fun beating you when you’re barely trying.”

“Sorry,” Adrien tucks his water bottle back into his bag. 

“ _Merde,_ I was never good at comforting you,” Kagami presses her lips together, finding the silence awkward and unbearable. 

That earns a gentle laugh. 

“It’s just household drama,” Adrien lies. “Come on. Ready for round four?”

★★★

Marinette

Chloe

Adrien

Alya

Nino

Luka

Kagami

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully I did Marinette some justice, as I wrote what it feels like for me when I'm panicking! Anyways I hope you enjoyed!   
> Feel free to post any comments, questions or concerns! Much love to you all and I hope to be updating again soon!


	11. Pre-game

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for your comments as of late! I really really enjoy reading them and hearing what you think of my writing! Hope you enjoy this chapter.

Marinette timbers down onto the true balcony. 

Even though she’d banished any thoughts about Chat Noir, her left foot was still lacking feeling. 

She hugs her arms to herself, squeezing her sides. 

_Even her balcony is massive._

She walks through the maze of loungers and outdoor sofas, looking left and right, hoping to catch a glimpse of blonde hair somewhere. 

“Ladybug?”

Marinette smiles softly at the sound of the familiar voice. 

“What are you doing here?” Chloe stands by the glass door leading to her room. 

“I swear, I haven’t caused any attacks as of late,” She sets her minuscule shivering dog down on the ground. It skampers away back into her room. 

“I know,” Marinette feels relieved to see a close friend. “I’m actually here to ask if you can cover patrol for Chat and me?”

Although they weren’t on good terms in _collège_ , Chloe had proved herself to be a defining asset to their little team of heroes. Alongside the responsibility of being Queen Bee came a side of kindness Marinette had never seen. 

She was just misunderstood. So she could try to excuse the years of hell Chloe put her through. 

“Are you kidding? I’m always up to substitute for you guys,” Her face lights up. 

She continued her school career at a separate private school, strangely Marinette missed her quite a bit. 

Her blonde hair loosely sways as she saunters towards Mari.

Every time Marinette saw her she managed to get prettier and prettier. 

“Thank you for always giving me a chance, some of the girls at my school still tease me for my first stunt as Queen bee,” Chloe sighs into a hug. 

“Um, yeah no problem,” Mari tenses, she had to remind herself of all the good Chloe had done. “Thank you for your help.” 

“Trust me, you don’t make mistakes, I'll do you proud,” Chloe pulls back, a smile from ear to ear. 

Marinette almost hurls at the irony. She’s made one to many mistakes, as it seems. 

“Right, well, i’ll still be on call, so if anything happens, I promise to be there,” Marinette smiles awkwardly. She was still unsure how to act around Chloe. 

What would she think if she saw her out of costume?

“I’m serious, I’ll be there if anything happens, stay safe,” Marinette hands her the red and gold embellished box. 

“You can count on me.”

★

“I don’t think I’m supposed to just let you be sad,” Kagami stands next to Adrien, shoving her belongings into her red duffle bag. “What’s going on?”

Adrien stands up straight, a little dumbfounded. 

“I can be nice sometimes too you know,” Kagami chuckles at his bemusement. “Why are you so off your game. Usually you manage to beat me at least once.”

“It’s nothing, I’m just a little worried about a friend, that’s all,” Adrien shrugs, hoping she doesn’t ask any follow up questions. 

“You know, I don’t think I asked enough questions when we were together. That’s what you’re supposed to do right? _How was your day?….How was school?_ All that business,” Kagami zips up her bag, she smiles a little. 

Adrien doesn’t know what to say. He slings his bag over his shoulder, frowning to himself. 

“Anyways, are you headed home? Is your driver coming around the front?” Kagami raises an eyebrow. Adrien follows her towards the front doorsteps. 

“You…” Adrien pauses, staring down at the strap of his bag. “It wasn’t your fault for why I ended things.” 

★

Marinette lands on the ground with a thud. She peers around the alleyway corner, noting that the street is fairly empty. 

She steps out from behind the shelter of the building side, acting as casual as possible. 

No one really questions you when you act like you know where you’re going and what you’re doing. 

She tucks a piece of wind battered hair behind her ear. 

Chloe thought too fond of her. 

Marinette knew more than anyone that mistakes were being made this way and that. 

She was calmer now, having time to process the whole situation. 

_‘Okay,’_ She had reminded herself. _‘This isn’t really the first rule you broke.’_

**No markings.**

That was one of the rules she had made. She let Chat get away with that too often. 

Thankfully, covering up red bruises with makeup was an easy task. 

She just had to trust him. 

Marinette pulls herself out of her mind as she rounds the street corner. The slabs of cream colored concrete stairs glow in the dying sunlight. 

At the top, she finds the other blond who always seems to be on her mind. 

Mari smiles to herself, he seems so happy and carefree talking to Kagami. 

His smile is enough to make her feel joyful, causing the deep seeded worries to wane. 

Marinette strides up the steps, taking them two at a time all whilst trying her best to not fall. One thing she wished would go away with age was her aggressive clumsiness. 

“Hey,” She calls as she nears the top. The pair turn towards her. “I thought I’d find you here.” 

“Marinette, hi,” Kagami sends her a peaceful smile. 

“Hey Kagami, it’s been too long,” Marinette finally reaches their level. 

“I was just heading home to change,” Adrien checks the time on his phone. 

“I know the party isn’t until later, but Jules just texted and said we could go over to pre-game, if you’re down?” Marinette clasps her hands together. 

“Sounds fun,” Adrien strikes her with that perfect smile again. 

“Kagami, you should totally come too, everyone wants to see you,” Marinette turns to address the other dark haired girl. 

“I don’t think so, my mom would be furious. And I was supposed to spend time with Chloe later. Although she did just cancel on me,” Kagami adjusts her hold on her sports bag. 

“Really? Not even for a little?” Marinette raises her eyebrows in hopes to entice her. “Who else is going to cap me off at four drinks?”

“I guess maybe for an hour or two,” Kagami smiles shyly. 

“It’s not too far a walk right?” Adrien speaks up. 

“Nope, let’s go.” 

...

Marinette sits in the hull of the boat. Her knees are pressed against her chest as she laughs at one of Kim’s quips. 

The group had made themselves comfortable, sitting in a small circle around the coffee table in Juleka’s living room. 

She holds a beer can in her right hand, using the liquid to drown out all the anxious thoughts and all the tender memories of spending time with Luka on the couches not too far away. 

She glances across the circle, her eyes wandering from friend to friend. Their faces serve as a friendly reminder that no matter what happens, she’ll have an army of supporters behind her back. 

Her eyes continue to surf. Alya and Nino sit close together, Rose and Juleka can’t stop glancing at one another, Kim and Max are arguing about something or another, Kagami and Alix are catching up, Nathanael and Marc are as cute as ever, Ivan and Mylene are being all lovey dovey as per usual, and...Adrien. 

He returns the eye contact, smiling softly. She can’t tell whether it’s the alcohol or the indestructible infatuation with him, but she can feel her cheeks grow hot. 

“I’m glad you could come,” She tries to play unfazed. 

“Me too,” He takes another sip of his drink. Marinette crosses her legs, staring at the wood floor as she tucks a wisp of hair behind her ear. 

God, she was hopeless. 

“I think we should play a game before everyone starts showing up,” Alya speaks up, her voice silencing the entire ship. She had that effect on people. 

“Pick your poison, Truth or Dare? Would You Rather? Odds? I’ll beat you at all of them,” Kim leans back on his hands. 

Marinette stifles a groan. 

_Always bragging._

“No no, those games are for children. We’re graduating this year, we have to do something we’ll actually remember,” Alya scoffs. She always seemed to know exactly what to do. “I’m talking about Seven Minutes in Heaven.” 

Marinette runs a hand through her hair. 

_Of course. Alya definitely enjoyed the drama of it all._

“I’m in,” Kim shrugs nonchalantly. The rest of the group share a few coy looks before nodding in agreement. 

Marinette wasn’t too keen on playing, but she could sense Alya putting up a fight. 

“Do you want another drink?” Marinette turns to the blond. 

“I don’t think my dad would appreciate more than two,” Adrien scratches the back of his neck sheepishly. 

“Gotcha,” Marinette stands, nearing the kitchen island a few paces away. 

  
  


...

  
  


The houseboat had grown full, but the game was still raving. More and more highschoolers had joined, and Marinette had managed to get away unscathed so far. Alya looked too proud of herself as she sat in her place on the floor. 

Marinette was starting to feel the booze hit as she laughs at the blush on Marc’s face. Nathanael looks a little embarrassed as he shuts the closet door behind himself. 

“Okay, Agreste, your turn, you haven’t gotten any action for months dude,” Nino chucks the bottle. Adrien catches it with a red face. 

Marinette watches him with intrigue, leaning forward as the bottle spins in a wobbly circle. 

It seemed to spin on forever, the neck passing over each participant more than once. 

Marinette holds her breath as it slows to a delicate stop. 

_Merde._

Her eyes widen as the bottle opening stares her down. 

_Merde merde merde._

The room seems to quiet for a moment and she feels the heat of a dozen eyes glued to her reaction. 

“I think it’s fate,” Alya cheers from across the circle, sending Marinette a not so sly wink. 

“Rules are the rules, Dudette. You two better get in the closet.” 

Marinette doesn’t dare to look at Adrien, seeing anything close to a mortifying expression would be bound to wound her ego for the rest of her life.

She swallows loud enough that she swears the whole city of Paris can hear it. 

“I’m not starting the timer until that door is closed,” Alya teases. “Do you need me to hold your hands and walk you two there myself?” 

“I um-, I don’t think they’re going to let us get out of this one,” Marinette squeezes her eyes shut before turning towards Adrien. 

“Shall we, then?” He stands up, offering her a hand. 

She was determined not to catch feelings again, especially not like this. Had it not been for the liquid courage, she probably would’ve withered away right then and there. 

She follows Adrien towards the tight space, noticing how fire was beginning to burn down her face. As the couple squeezes themselves into the closet, she prays that the low lighting will hide the unrelenting scarlet tone surfacing beneath the apples of her cheeks. 

“Have fun,” Alya grins evilly as she shuts the door behind them. 

Suddenly the rest of the party is suffocated. The noise is diluted, and now...silence. 

Marinette’s back is pressed up against the wall, trying her absolute best to stay on her side of the four by four foot space. 

“We don’t have to do anything,” She chuckles awkwardly, glad that she can’t really make out his features. 

“We could just talk, if you want?” He replies, his voice is barely a whisper. 

_Oh god, he must be uncomfortable._

“Sure!” Marinette answers with false enthusiasm. 

“I meant to ask earlier, but you seemed a little stressed today,” Adrien shuffles around a little. Marinette could feel the heat radiating off his body. 

She swallows nervously. “R-really? Was it that obvious?” 

_Don’t start stuttering again now._

“Sorry if I’m prying,” He exhales. “Are you okay?”

_Was he asking in general? Or about the current situation?_

“I think so,” Marinette stares at where her feet should be. _Wow,_ it was dark. “I think I just need to trust that everything will work out, you know?”

“Oh trust me, I know,” Adrien laughs softly. Marinette grins warmly, glad that the air was starting to feel a little less stiff. 

“Hey, group consensus, we’re not letting you out until you kiss. Talking is boring,” Alya’s voice comes out muffled through the door. 

“That’s not how the game works,” Marinette huffs, jiggling the doorknob to no avail.

“We don’t have to, Marinette. They’ll have to let us out at some point. Besides I don’t mind being stuck in here with you,” Adrien’s voice sounds closer. 

“H-how long do you think they’ll keep us locked in here?” Marinette turns. 

_Oh._

She catches herself a few inches short of a nose bleed. His shoulder is too close. The silence is deafening as she slowly tilts her head up. 

“They might forget about us,” Adrien speaks. From this distance, she can make out each of his perfect features.

 _‘How can he remain so composed?! He must really not have feelings for me at all,’_ Marinette curses herself silently. 

“We’re all waiting, you’re nearing five minutes now, get a move on, Dudes.”

Marinette cringes at the idea of her friends waiting outside. This was not how she imagined ever kissing Adrien, it wasn’t supposed to be so forced. 

Marinette felt like utter garbage, standing in front of him, trying to pretend like kissing him was an absolute last resort. 

“Um, i-if you’re cool with it, we could just kiss and get this whole thing over and done with.” 

_Christ Marinette, way to make it seem like he’s absolute dross._

“Do you want to?” His eyebrows rose up. 

Marinette almost had a heart attack deciding what to say next. Had she overstepped the boundaries of friendship? 

“I-...I mean, we don’t have to, like we could just stay here or whatever or,” She does a mentally face-palm, realizing she’s rambling. She takes a deep breath. “Do you want to?”

“I’m...cool with it,” He chuckles, stealing a direct quote from her. 

“Oh shut up,” Marinette groans in embarrassment, but finds herself unable to keep a wry smile from tugging at the corner of her lips. 

There’s a hollow moment where neither of the two make a move. 

Marinette stares up at him, her chest swelling with a heated breath of air. 

_Was she supposed to move or was he?_

His green eyes are dark in the soft lighting. 

_To think that middle school Marinette would’ve been screaming right at this very moment…_

Adrien plants a gentle hand on her waist. Mari does her best to follow his lead, resting hand on his shoulder to steady herself. 

“They better let us out after this,” She whispers softly. Adrien blows a laugh out of his nose. 

Marinette smiles, feeling a little easy as she rolls onto the tips of her toes. 

_Here goes nothing._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aw what a cute couple of absolute hopeless idiots...


	12. Chemistry

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uploading earlier today because why not? 
> 
> Thank you for all your comments, they're such a joy to read! Thank you so much for the support :D

Their lips meet softly and shyly. 

Adrien wonders if he’d been too obvious, but where had this urge to kiss her come from? 

He would never forget the relief that had washed over his body when the bottle had landed on her of all people. 

_ Did she want to kiss him, or was she simply trying to get out of this stuffy room? _

Either way, he’s glad for it, confined spaces were not his friend. 

_ Was he shaking? Were his palms sweaty? _

He relaxes as one of her arms tenderly slips behind his neck, smoothly pulling his body flush against hers. 

Adrien’s mind blanks, his body fully relaxing for the first time in a while. She pulls back slightly. Her lips brush his delicately and he leans forward, his hand moving with a mind of its own until it’s satisfied with the touch of her skin. He cups her cheek as he sighs in contentment. 

This felt natural. 

★

_ Marinette was KISSING him. Marinette was kissing HIM. _

Oh how he loved him dearly. He was such a good friend...even with his  _ busy, busy  _ schedule he always made time for her. She couldn’t expect him to pick up on such small trivial hints at her previous love and-

_ Wait. Why was she making excuses for him again?  _

She felt sad when she was with him. Always calculating the possibilities of them truly ending up together. 

She was always subtracting points from the fantasy, whether it be that he referred to her as a friend for the umpteenth time, or whether it be the fact that she snorted a little when she laughed...there was no way that could be attractive. 

Adrien was a mature, talented, kind young man. 

And she...was a superhero who didn’t have time for an aching heart. 

Marinette would spend the rest of her life cursing the persistent feelings she had developed for him the very day they met. 

At least they didn’t consume her inside out anymore. At least she could stomp them back down into that dark little corner of her heart. 

So, it probably wasn’t a good thing that she was kissing him. 

But still, she couldn’t forget how he had changed her perspective on the world. 

_ Stop it Marinette. You have to feel nothing. Distract yourself. He is not your whole world. You’ll go to different universities. You’ll have your own lives. You’ll keep fighting for Paris and he’ll go on to be even more successful.  _

_ Stop racing for his validation, stop racing for the rewards of his love. Forfeit already. You’re tired, so rest. Find peace and move on already. Stop entertaining yourself. Stop missing him. Let everything go naturally scripted. You’ll find love in someone else. Maybe you already have.  _

_ She just had to keep reminding herself that Adrien was the wrong person.  _

She did love him very much, but he wasn’t the right one apparently, so she survived off imagining how much she would love the right one. 

_ Chat Noir. You laugh at all his jokes. Even the bad ones. _

_ That had to count for something.  _

Marinette realizes the irony as she draws Adrien in for another kiss. Her calves ache as she matches his height. 

_ This kind of kiss with Chat Noir would’ve totally had her reeling in a bath of jittered nerves.  _

_ But why? _

Chat and her have chemistry, that bit was obvious. 

She never felt weird around her partner, she certainly never felt ‘throw up worthy’ nervous. 

He cares for her, she could tell. 

_ What would he say if he saw her now? _

Probably something along the lines of  _ “Meowch, you’ve got to be kitten me, this is just clawful and completely un-furtunate. Suddenly I’m feline quite sad…” _

_ Wait, he was the one rooting for her to kiss Adrien in the first place.  _

As Marinette pulls away to take a breath she can’t help but laugh. 

_ Putain... _ she did  _ not  _ just laugh. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> awwwgh way to ruin the moment Marinette


	13. Swallow Your Pride

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I WAS SO EXCITED TO LOG ON AND READ ALL YOUR COMMENTS OMG! You guys spoil me!!!
> 
> Anyways I think I'll start uploading maybe once or twice a week! We'll see how it goes :)!
> 
> Thank you for your support and for reading! 
> 
> XXX

“Alya, let me out, we kissed,” Marinette bangs on the door eager to get away as quickly as possible. Her voice must sound frantic, considering the door knob begins to turn. 

As much as she had profusely apologized, there was not enough she could say to forgive herself. 

_‘Why did you laugh?!’_

The door opens and Marinette is all set to bolt. Alya stands in her way. 

“I really need to get a drink, like right now,” Marinette cuts her off, intensely mortified and not ready to hear what Adrien has to say. She shimmies past her friend, making a beeline for the kitchen island, most definitely deciding not to look back, not until she was blackout drunk. 

“Kim, can you pass me another drink?” She leans against the counter, the coldness of the marble slab is welcomed against her burning skin. 

She waits impatiently as he reaches into the fridge, extending a hand to pass her the can that would save her soul for the rest of the evening. 

_‘Why did you laugh?!’_

She cringes, taking the beer and snapping the tab opening with a strong determination to drain the whole container. 

She throws the whole beverage back, swallowing every drop and wipes her lips on the back of her hand, praying that the alcohol will settle easily within her stomach. 

“Impressive.”

Marinette places the voice almost immediately. There was no forgetting the smooth, warm tone she knew too well. 

“Luka,” She turns towards his presence. The relief that washes over her, seeing such a familiar face, is nearly overwhelming. 

“When did you get back?” She wraps her arms around his shoulders in a friendly hug, smiling genuinely at the memories being thrown forward in his wake. 

“I just got home,” He rocks her side to side a little. Mari pulls back, looking him over. 

“I missed you, you have to catch me up on all the exciting things you’ve been doing,” Her previous fluster has melted completely. She was more than excited to hear him gush about all his adventures from across the pond.

“I’m sure I missed you more.”

It was obvious that he remained the same kind, diligent and caring person that Marinette had always known and always loved. There was no denying that Marinette felt happy to have him, he was one of her people. The kind of person that could always cheer her up, and distract her from the worries of leading a double life. 

It was so easy to feel calm around him, it was easy to be reminded of the dear moments they had spent together. 

He was the same Luka, same dark wavy hair that always seemed a little untamed, same intense cheekbones, same almost empty-esque eyes, same freckle dotted skin. 

“Let’s go up on the deck so we can catch up,” Marinette smiles. 

★

Adrien stands in the doorway, still stunned. She had raced away before he had been able to get a word in. 

_Merde, am I a bad kisser?!_

“What did you do to her, Agreste?!” Alya throws him a rotten look. 

“N-nothing, I think?” 

“That’s rough, Dude,” Nino slaps a hand on his back. 

_Did he do something wrong?_

“Obviously you did _something_ wrong,” Alya scowls. “I’m going to go check on her.”

Adrien grimaces as Alya disappears into the crowd. 

“Dude, what happened?” Nino raises his eyebrow. 

“We kissed...and then she laughed?” 

“Bro…” Nino presses his lips together. 

_Not good._

“Don’t let it hurt your ego too much, i’m sure it’s just Marinette being goofy. You know that she would never intentionally offend anyone,” Nino pats his shoulder. Adrien has a hard time taking his advice. 

Who wouldn’t feel kind of bummed.

“Maybe she was just nervous, or shy?” Nino tries to reason with him. 

“Why would she be nervous?” Adrien tilts his head to the side. 

_Maybe he should just swallow his pride and ask her._

She had apologized. Multiple times in a matter of seconds, so quickly that Adrien hadn’t managed to get a single word in, and then she had dashed away. 

“Back so fast?” Nino draws Adrien’s attention to the approaching figure. 

Alya shoots Adrien a look laced with daggers, “She’s with Luka, I didn’t want to interrupt.”

★

“Wow,” Marinette stares at the calm water. “That sounds incredible.”

“You would like New York.” Marinette can feel Luka’s eyes on her. “I don’t have an amazing eye for fashion like you do, but from everything you’ve taught me...people can be pretty stylish there.” 

“I would kill to be there. I’ve been watching and keeping up with the Met Gala since the moment I could talk,” A precious smile decorates her face. She leans against the wooden ledge, enjoying the cool night breeze, something that she would surely miss when summer really hit. 

“So, what have you been up to?” Luka asks. 

“Same old same old,” Marinette tucks her hair behind her ear. It was true, nothing had changed too much. 

“I don’t believe it, you’ve always got something going on,” Luka grins. 

_Charming as always._

Marinette turns to face him, her shoulders relaxing as she meets his calm eyes. The sound of the music from down below was so diluted and far off, and the rest of Paris was quiet. Marinette wished that she could see the blanket of stars scattered across the deep sky, but the city lights were putting up a fight. 

“Out of the two of us, you’re definitely leading the interesting life,” Marinette supports herself against the railing. 

“Yeah well, once you’re done with highschool, you’ll really start to shine. I’m certain.”

Marinette is once again reminded how much she appreciated him. He was so supportive, and his affirmations were always something she enjoyed hearing. 

“You’ll have to play me a song soon,” She stands up a little straighter. “I think I missed your guitar as much as I missed you.” 

He laughs. 

She does too. 

There was no forgetting those late summer nights where they would sit on that very deck, he would play the chords and she would strum the strings. 

“Alya is going to have my throat if I don’t report back to her in a few minutes,” Marinette remembers how she raced off. Alya was probably fuming already, hungry for details. 

“Shall we head back downstairs?” 

★

“I was supposed to cap her off at four drinks, right?” Kagami chuckles a little as she joins Adrien, admiring the way the Marinette and Alya dance carefree. 

Adrien peels his eyes away to face Kagami. 

“I think she’s at five or six,” She leans against the wall, crossing her arms. 

“Seven, actually,” Adrien scratches the back of his neck awkwardly. 

His mind was still stuck on Marinette. 

“Hey, what happened in the closet anyways,” Kagami wiggles her eyebrows. She always seemed to loosen up a little bit when she had a few drinks down the hatch. 

“We kissed,” Adrien shrugs, trying to play it off as no big deal. “You wouldn’t let us out until we did.” 

“Right, I suppose that was a bit sleezy. I know you’re a little claustrophobic, but someone had to do it.” Kagami laughs. 

“Do what?” Adrien asks. 

“You know, play cupid. It’s obvious you like her,” Kagami rolls her eyes, making such a statement like it was the most obvious thing in the world. 

Instead of denying it, Adrien turns back to the room, his eyes fixing on the girl that he apparently, _obviously_ , liked. 

She seemed to know every lyric to every song. 

_Did he really like her? How could everyone else tell, but he couldn’t?_

“When did you become a love expert?” Adrien looks at Kagami shyly. 

“Chloe and I are going strong. She’s just as stubborn as me, so I’ve learned a thing or two. Plus, she’s a little high maintenance, so I guess romance is something I’ll have to continue to learn,” Kagami explains, grinning from ear to ear at the thought of her girlfriend. She takes a sip from her glass to hide the blush nipping at her nose. 

“It’s obvious?” Adrien continues. 

“Yeah, really obvious. You can barely take your eyes off of her as we speak. You worry about her all the time, so much so that you can barely score a point when we fence. And you kissed her for pete’s sake,” Kagami nudges him with her elbow. 

“Well maybe she’s just a friend. Friends worry about friends,” Adrien argues politely. 

“Not to the extent that you do, anyways, I don’t know why you’re talking to me, you should go talk to her,” She gives him a gentle push in the right direction. 

“Don’t be so dumb Adrien, I’m sure the feeling is mutual,” She calls after him.

★

Marinette can’t help but mouth the lyrics. 

The alcoholic solution swishing within her had done its job. Anxiety = gone. 

Even so, there was no doubt that it would be back to haunt her the very next morning. 

Yes, worries and a crippling hangover was definitely all she needed. 

She did know how to hold her alcohol, and she wasn’t nearly as drunk as Alya, who was dancing like a stripper. Nino wasn’t complaining. 

“Hey, I saw you with Luka earlier,” Alya shouts over the music. Marinette nods. 

“Yeah, we talked,” She replies. 

“And? Details. It’s not a good story without details,” Alya rolls her eyes. 

“It’s not a good story with details, we talked. Period. End of story,” Marinette shakes her head. 

“Come on, that’s it? Boring.”

“It wasn’t boring. He told me all about New York. He said I would like it there.”

“Where is the reunion drama?”

“Nope. I don’t do drama. We’re friends. None of that on and off again stuff.” Marinette states, truthfully, she was getting all she really needed from someone else, and there was absolutely no way she could tell Alya about that. 

The song diminuends to a stop before the next one comes on. Slow and romantic.

“You know you’re the love of my life Marinette, but I have to dance with my man,” Alya is whisked away by her ever loving boyfriend. 

Marinette is left standing, grinning at the pair. 

They were the definition of true love. 

Marinette spots Adrien approaching, his eyes find hers. 

She smiles, despite the awkwardness of earlier. 

“Do you want to dance?” She asks, surprised at her own confidence. Apparently the alcohol let anything slip past her lips. 

“Always,” He extends a hand. 

This was something Marinette knew how to do. 

They’d done it before, so at this point, finding where to place her hands and how to move was simple. 

Marinette reminds herself not to be shy, there was barely a reason to be timid anymore. And there was definitely no room in her alcohol filled brain for a rational thought. 

“Listen,” She glances upwards. “If I miraculously manage to forget how much I embarrassed myself tonight, be nice and don’t ever remind me.”

Adrien smiles. “What do you mean?”

“Don’t tease me,” Marinette groans. “I’m never going to laugh again.”

“You have a cute laugh.”

_Wow, that was forward._

Marinette’s eyes widen for a moment. 

“I do?” She doesn’t wait for his response. “Adrien...sorry I laughed earlier, I guess I was just thinking about how ironic the whole situation was.”

“Ironic?” Adrien chuckles. 

“Oh yeah. The caustic irony of the whole thing. I mean, if we were still in _collège_ I would have lost my shit,” Marinette mumbles. 

“Interesting. Why’s that?” 

Marinette makes a face at him. 

_Did she actually have to spell it out, or did he really want to hear it from her?_

“I liked you, a lot.” 

There, the alcohol really played it’s part now. The banishment of fear had to be replaced with something, and instead of tears or anger, it was boldness. 

“Don’t bring that up either, or I’ll murder you,” Marinette rolls her eyes at the smug expression written across his face. 

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I don’t know…” She trails off. 

Yeah, the embarrassment would be strong tomorrow. 

“You’re Adrien Agreste…there was no way-” She stops herself. “It doesn’t matter. I guess I was just scared. Anyways, we’re friends now. That’s what matters, right?”

Adrien opens his mouth to answer just in time for the ground to tremor like no one had ever felt before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh oh...


	14. Dancing with You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi lovelies! Sorry that this chapter is so short, and double sorry for having not responded or uploaded recently! I've been so so busy with work! 
> 
> Thank you so much for being patient, and let me just tell you, finally logging on to see all the wonderful comments really made my week!
> 
> As always, thank you so much for reading, supporting, and interacting! You're all amazing!!

“Are you okay?” Marinette pulls herself off the ground, she gives Adrien a look over, doing a moderate visual inspection. 

“I’m fine, are you?” 

As much as Marinette wanted to stay around and ensure that the panicked look would slip off Adrien’s face, she had a job to do.

“I’ll be right back, I’m just going to check on everyone else,” Marinette apologetically takes advantage of his disorientation, disappearing before anyone realizes.

  
  


…

  
  


Marinette can’t tell if the act of soaring over the Paris skyline is doing anything for the liquid in her stomach. On one hand it’s a great wake up, but on the other, it made her want to hurl. 

At least she wasn’t blackout. 

It’s hard to ignore the damage below, cars are overturned, the brick roads are broken, glass is scattered. There was no doubt, this was going to be a big fight. 

Marinette eyes catch an unmistakable yellow figure, she diverts her path. 

Maybe the ache in her gut was from guilt. Even though she knew that she could protect Adrien (and the city no doubt) better in her hero form. 

She looks over her shoulder, watching the boat disappear in the distance. 

She needed to keep whatever was responsible away from the party.

★

“Alya, have you seen Marinette?” Adrien pushes through the mob of panic, taking a hold of his friend’s wrist. 

“What do you mean?!” Alya’s face drops. “She was dancing with you.” 

“She said she was checking on you,” Adrien is ghostly pale. 

“We haven’t seen her,” Nino grimaces as the earth jolts once again. The boat rocks side to side, smashing against the side of the Seine. 

The crowd of terrified teenagers wobble and tumble, collapsing to the ground on impact. 

_ ‘You shouldn’t have let her go by herself!’  _

Adrien knew that the faster this was sorted, the safer his friends would be, and the sooner he could find Marinette. 

If anything were to happen to her, he would never forgive himself. 

“Maybe she went to check on Luka first,” Alya braces herself against the wall. 

“I ran into him on the way to you guys, he hasn’t seen her. He’s looking for her right now,” Adrien swallows. 

_ He had to transform and get everyone off the boat before it cracked and sank.  _

“I have to go look for her,” Adrien stands up, easy and light on his feet incase of another blast. 

He was glad for only downing two drinks.

“We’ll come,” Nino holds Alya close to him, a protective arm wrapped around her. 

_ He needed to be alone.  _

“It’s safer for you to stay here, Alya, you should update your Ladyblog and inform everyone on how to stay safe. Nino, you need to stay with her. I’ll be back if I can’t find her. Keep calling her,” Adrien is already halfway to the stairs as he finishes his sentence. 

_ Now to clear the boat and save the day.  _

…

Chat Noir follows the trail of destruction. It’s sprawled in a circle, raging outwards from the epicentre. 

As fast as he was moving, his brain was racing faster. 

He felt sick with worry.

_ Where was she?  _

At least everyone else was off the boat and safe. 

_ She was smart, maybe she got to safety earlier… _

That didn’t sound right, there was no way she would leave any of her friends behind. 

_ Focus, Adrien. Bottom line is that Marinette is smart, and you need to get this solved.  _

The ears on his head twist and the wisps of hair at the base of his neck stick up, his gut instincts pull him down onto a nearby roof. 

Apparently his intuition was always right, as he’s immediately graced with the sight of his scarlet clad partner.

At least that was some relief. 

“I didn’t expect to see you,” They say in unison. She looks a little disheveled and he wonders if it’s because they broke a rule. 

“You kidding?” He has no time for his tantalizing flirting. “I would never leave you alone.” 

He hoped that it added some reassurance.

His skin pricked as another presence entered their space. 

Queen Bee landed between the pair. “I was near here when I felt the…” 

None of them knew what to call it. 

In any case there was no way that the tremors were natural. 

“- Whatever these convulsions are,” Bee continues. “I have no idea what’s going on.”

_ That was not a good thing to hear.  _

“We might just have to go in blind,” Ladybug swallows. It was something none of them felt comfortable with. 

“Bee, can you do crowd control until I get a better idea of what's going on. Keep the citizens safe,” Ladybug pulls the yoyo from her hip. 

Seemed like she was in a rush to get things done. But that’s how she always was, logical and efficient. 

“You don’t think you’re going deeper into this mess without me, right?” Adrien stands up straighter. 

_ He was not about to let her get away too.  _

“It could be dangerous, I’ll page you and Bee when I get a clearer picture.” She looks him dead in the eyes, with an expression reading ‘don’t test me right now’. 

“No chance. I’m coming with you,” He returns the fierce eye contact. 

“Fine, let’s not waste any more time,” Ladybug turns towards Bee. “Be safe.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, i'm so sorry for the short chapter today, and I hope to update again soon!


	15. Point Zero

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You are all so amazing! Tysm for the comments, they always brighten up my whole week! I never imagined getting this much support! You are all apart of such a lovely community! 
> 
> Much love, and I hope you enjoy!!!

The pair lands softly on another rooftop. 

Marinette’s worry for Adrien is completely new as she sees the true damage. 

She tries to keep her jaw from dropping. Her vision is blurring with tears. 

The city she loves is torn up with waves of broken concrete and glass. Buildings are sloping off their foundations and streetlights are crushed under pieces of the ancient architecture. 

“Chat, we really need to fix this,” She turns to her partner, who is equally disturbed. 

Love and other worries were the last thing on her mind. 

“We will. We always do,” He breathes out. It doesn’t sound as optimistic as usual. 

Chat Noir’s ears prick up. Marinette doesn’t take more than a second to react. 

She had a good idea what that meant, and she wasn’t going to bother testing her theory first. 

They both duck down behind a small HVAC unit as a bomb of energy is released again. 

The air freezes and her lungs can neither shrink or expand as the wave moves through them, before continuing outwards.

That quick second of pressure was severe, had it lasted longer she might’ve been susceptible to an harsh injury. 

The list was endless, blast lung, a ruptured ear, abdominal hemorrhages, eye rupture, or maybe a concussion. 

She immediately regretted letting Chat Noir come to scope the scene out, they would only have to get closer, meaning the blasts would only get stronger. 

At least, sitting beside her behind the shelter he was safe from flying debris and shrapnel. 

The only good thing to come out of that last vibration was some key knowledge, the trembles were not earthquakes...they were explosions. 

★

The moment of stillness in the aftermath is interrupted as Adrien’s baton rings. 

He doesn’t answer it for a moment. 

His chest is stiff as he inhales a sharp breath. It stings.

He turns towards his partner. A drop of blood dribbles from her ear to the point of her chin. 

“Answer it,” She wipes the warm blood with the back of her hand, trying to come off as unfazed. Still he knows the look of fear on her when he sees it.

“It’s a message from Bee,” Adrien’s voice barely escapes his throat. 

“And?” Ladybug raises her eyebrows. 

Adrien couldn’t stop staring at the dark drying red path that ran down her cheek. 

_Was Marinette hurt?_

“He’s a tagger,” Adrien feels his stomach turn. 

_Focus._

“The attacker? He’s a criminal?”

“His criminal record was just uploaded to the Ladyblog. He’s been charged with trespassing and property theft,” Adrien reads aloud. 

“So Hawkmoth is taking control of criminals now?” Ladybug looks queasy. 

“I wouldn’t put it past him.”

★

Marinette’s vision is hazy. She can’t tell whether it’s from shock or whether she was settling further into the state of drunkenness. 

Either way, she sits there thanking god for the numbing of alcohol. She couldn’t feel a thing. Besides the drowned sound in her ear and the heat on her cheek, she wouldn’t have noticed her injury whatsoever. 

She looks down at the stain on her suit. It was drying dark against the vibrant rouge of her costume. 

_Hawkmoth is taking hold of real bad guys._

Even if his current victim was only a tagger, it was tough to swallow. 

He had halted his preying on petty hormone ridden teenagers a few years ago. But this...it was new. 

Marinette can only sit there frozen, pondering how much farther Hawkmoth would go to get his wish. 

“What do we do?” She turns to her partner. 

Chat Noir looks at her, dumbfounded. 

She was aware that it was primarily her who made the plans, and he was the one to advance them, but her mind was adamant on only thinking about her other blond friend. The one she left behind. 

“We need to figure out how he’s setting off explosions.” Chat composes himself. 

Silence. 

It seemed both of them were a bit stumped. 

How were they supposed to figure anything out without inching closer towards the attacks. 

Marinette looks up at the sky, as if the answer would be written in the stars. Instead, she’s met with a blanket of grey clouded smoke. 

She swallows the sharp dryness in her throat, forgetting how to be brave for only a moment. As she lowers her gaze her attention snaps. 

She zeroes in on the rooftop across the street. 

_'REV'_

Written in big box letters. 

Graffiti. 

_He’s a tagger._

As serious as the situation is, Marinette can’t hold back the thought. The designer in her was screaming. 

_“Who would choose those colors? Who would go to the store and, out of all the colors, purchase brown and black cans of spray paint?”_

Her eyes widen as an idea is sparked in the depths of her brain. 

“Chat.” She reaches for his hand subconsciously. “What if he’s exploding his spray paint cans?”

★

_She was a genius._

“You’re a genius,” Adrien says aloud for good measure. 

“I’m flattered,” Ladybug responds. “We still need to figure out how to make our next move.” 

“Considering it’s not a chemical explosion, it shouldn’t be so strong,” Adrien thanks his high grades in science, finally he could apply some of the lessons to real life. 

“Hawkmoth must be responsible for the power boost,” Ladybug looks a little sick. 

“The only way I can imagine he’s exploding the aerosol is by heating them up,” He continues. “I don’t know how we can prevent him from building the pressure in the cans.”

“I don’t suppose we can just take him to space and leave him there,” Ladybug grumbles. 

“There’s no way to drain and depressurize the can without getting right up close.”

“I guess we might have to solve this one without science.”

There was no avoiding it, they were going to get hurt. 

★

Creeping in towards the villain’s hideout, Marinette was barely managing to pull her scattered brain together. 

Her thoughts are all over the place.

Her body behaves sluggishly as she hurtles over a chimney, ducking down in case of another rampant detonation. 

Her subconscious had taken over, her muscles knowing exactly what to do and where to go. 

Deeper into the city, and deeper into the destruction. 

The dark silhouette of her partner glides effortlessly through the roof tops. She was happy to have him, it was comforting to know that he was within arms reach, and she could keep an eye on him. 

She would be reeling if she had another loved one to worry about. 

He sees him first. 

Marinette can tell by the way his body stiffens. She slows, landing on the soft pads of her feet. She doesn’t take much time to find the singular standing body in the blank canvas of point zero. 

Even from here, he looks mean. 

She’d seen his mugshot on the Ladyblog, but that barely compared. Only the foulest of the foul looked so excited to be evil...and he looks beyond ecstatic. 

His eyes are wide and mad. 

He was pacing back and forth, rambling to himself in hysterics. 

Marinette scans him up and down, piecing together a story behind his victimization. 

The sourcing of his power must be coming from his ventilation mask, it was the only thing that kept catching Marinette’s eye. 

The rest of his outfit was so plain and mundane, there was no other possible option. 

“His mask,” Marinette whispers. Chat instantly picks up on what she means. 

“Left or right?” Chat Noir’s expression is stern and determined. “Ladies pick first.”

“Neither,” She exhales. “We go in together.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this is definitely a way to ruin a nice night!


	16. Easy Pickings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey hey!! Guess who finished the majority of their work for this week!! The train has left the procrastination station, hence taking a little me time to write! 
> 
> I'm sorry if I'm being annoying, but I have to say it again, YOU ARE ALL SO AMAZING! Thank you so much for the support and it just gives me life to see people returning to continue to read! Writing is one of my favorite hobbies, and I'm so happy that I get to share it with you. 
> 
> Love you all so much!

_Quickly and efficiently._

Adrien was trying his best to think like Ladybug. To get this done he needed to allow his emotions to remain plateaued. 

They had no plan. But sometimes that was the best way to go about things. 

He takes one final glance at his partner, her eyes bearing the urgency of the whole ordeal. He doesn’t need her eyes to tell him, he has his own reasons for why he's so determined. 

He takes a soft breath before dropping down into the streets. 

Ladybug lands only seconds after him, eyeing the man to make sure they’re in the clear. 

They had a mutual silent understanding that it was time to be silent. As much as he wants to say something, and as much as he wants to wipe the blood from her face, he stays focused. 

Adrien shivers at her injury. 

Her hand closes around his wrist, but her eyes are trained straight forward. 

He turns just in time to watch the villain spawn another can from his paint covered backpack. 

The man stands tall in the middle of the cleared patch of city, giving the bottle a shake before tossing it into a nearby fire. 

Neither of the pair were going to allow him to get away with another major tremble. 

Ladybug is the first to move, she jolts forwards, pulling her yoyo in one smooth motion. 

Adrien is aware she won’t get there in time, his arms react quickly, tossing his baton at the can to keep them both from being blown backwards. 

His aim proves correct as the paint rolls wobbly out of the orange flames. 

Now, they’ve announced themselves. 

★

Marinette tries to appear unfazed as air refuses to fill her lungs. 

Death had stared her down only moments ago, and now it was taunting her. 

The man turns towards them, anger written in bold across his face. 

“Come to ruin my fun?” He growls. Neither of the two have anything to say. All she can do is stare. 

His voice is venomous as it cuts through the terse air, muffled by the mask surrounding his lower face. The only other noise is the sound of the crackling flames dispersed around them. The ground was blackened from ash and the sky had darkened further. 

It was her turn to attack now, she needed to give Chat an opportunity to get his weapon back. She feels completely sober as the adrenaline spiders out beneath her skin. 

She throws her yoyo out, the motion memorized to perfection. It clasps itself around the man’s wrist. 

She pulls, yanking him forward and away from his initial position. 

In seconds, Chat is no longer by her side. She feels bare and exposed without his presence, but she continues onwards. 

“Oh come on, I was on a roll,” The man sneers as he stumbles off balance. “I suppose I could just blow you and your little playmate up, but I need your miraculous. And there’s no use scouring your remains for such minuscule pieces of jewelry.”

Marinette barely offers a reaction, although that one line would be certain to haunt her for at least a few weeks. 

Oh, _va te faire foutre._

A state of annoyance, replaces her nerves. 

“Neither of those options sound too appealing,” Marinette glares at the male coldly. 

_She was so sick and tired of being treated like a disposable napkin._

Apparently he’s not a fan of her response, because as soon as she’s done speaking he roars towards her, all might initiated.

Marinette makes a grand effort not to meet the other end of his fist, barely being nicked as she dodges his lunge. 

She catches her balance just in time to avoid another attack. Her yoyo clatters to the ground as her grip is momentarily loosened. 

“Not very gentlemanly of you,” Marinette grumbles under her breath. 

Speaking of gentlemen, where was that cat?

She blocks a curved punch, wincing as her forearm takes the head of the impact. 

Toppling a little, she catches herself on the sides of her feet. 

The lack of hearing in her ear throws her more off balance than she can handle.

In her moment of torpor the man lands a hit. 

Marinette stumbles backward, noting that blood did not mix well with her cherry chapstick. 

Granted she was not grateful for the pulsating pain in her nose, she _was_ grateful for the new distance. 

It gave her freedom and time. 

She swipes her weapon from the ground, relieved to have it back in her arms. 

The earth is lost beneath her feet as she’s hauled towards the ash. 

She braces herself for impact, but instead is pulled into a ready embrace. 

Chat Noir pulls her to cover. 

Shielded behind the crumbs of what was once a car, Marinette ducks her head into the crook of his shoulder as another blast erupts with such ferocity that the air goes solid. 

She feels as though she’s been sealed in plastic. She has no capability to move, or breath, or think. The pressure behind her eyes is vigorous, begging for a pop of release.

She can’t comprehend how he’s able to move, but Chat pulls her closer protecting her from the metal sheets that are whipped awry. 

As soon as the wave of power caves over them, it’s gone. Lulling out over the rest of the city, washing the streets with carnage.

Marinette begins movement with her fingers, testing to see if her cerebellum is still alive. 

She grips his shoulders, maybe a little too tightly. Her nerves seem shot, there is no feeling in her fingertips. Every cell in her body had been incinerated trying to absorb energy from the pulse. 

She can’t hear, instead she can only feel the sound of the explosion reverberating through the air, like ripples in a puddle, bouncing off of walls and coming back to attack her again and again. 

Finally she breathes.

Burning. The air feels like lava in the confines of her chest. Her exhale is stunted, like it’s her first time ever experiencing oxygen. 

At least the pain is a reminder that she is still alive. 

She doesn’t want to move out of Chat’s hold. She doesn’t want to get up and keep fighting, she doesn’t even know if she can. 

“Okay?” She says hoarsely, relieved that she managed to get a single word out. 

Chat nods nauseously. 

_How much time had passed?_

It’s nearly impossible to tell. 

She can’t waste another minute. Both heroes knew they couldn’t withstand another detonation. 

The few brain cells left bouncing around her skull like the balls in Brick Breaker protest the idea of any movement. Yet she still stands, her fingers clutched around her red and black spotted yoyo. 

She wipes the fresh line of blood from her nose and lips. 

It’s time to call on her luck. 

Whatever her powers presented her, she was strongly convinced that it wouldn’t help. 

With a chest full of attempted optimism she tosses her yoyo up into the sky. The red contrasts the deep black like the red embers of a fire beneath burnt wood. 

She looks up, with an ounce of intelligent bravery, choosing to be like her partner, seeking the possible good. 

_A fire extinguisher._

_Great._

The obvious was too.. _obvious_?

There was no way one extinguisher was going to put out all the clans of fire dispersed around the area. 

She can barely hear her own voice over the ringing in her ears. 

“What am I supposed to do with this,” She crouches back down, looking Chat in the eyes. She spins the canister, doing her trademark look around for inspiration. 

Nothing jumps out at her, but maybe her skewed vision was to blame. Anything further than twenty feet was not visible. 

Time is ticking as Marinette seeks a solution. There was no telling whether or not the man had more cans in his backpack.

The ashes sprinkling the air like tiny flakes of black pepper are an assault on her throat as she takes a deep breath, trying to shake off the disorientation.

The alcohol doesn’t discriminate either, apparently the universe wasn’t going to show her any mercy. 

Fatigue is heavy on the horizon as she takes a third and lasting glance around. 

She catches the glint of metal in the fervent glow of the biting flames. 

And _finally,_ finally she knows what to do. 

It was the obvious. 

But the canister had to be used sparingly. 

There is no time to warn Chat of her plan. 

She gives him a look that she prays reads ‘ _Trust me_ ’. 

In a fluid motion, one that Chat Noir won’t be able to stop, she starts her run. 

Her eyes scan for cover as she closes the distance on safety. Every time she passes a place to hide, she finds a new one, making sure she’d have protection in case of another blast. 

She was analyzing, finding the best possible way to carry out the ghost of a plan she had whipped up. 

_A fire extinguisher doesn’t last very long._

There was no telling what she would need to use it on. 

She continues to advance, hoping that everything would go exactly as scripted. 

Otherwise, she was easy pickings. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay Ladybug, let's not be to hasty, no one is allowed to die tonight!


	17. Without Warning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one's a little short, but I hope you still enjoy!
> 
> Comments are always appreciated!
> 
> Much love and stay safe xxx

Adrien propels himself up to the roof tops, keeping time with his partner down below. 

She was doing it again, the thing he hated the absolute most. 

Always proceeding without warning. 

He was less so mad, and more so distressed. 

She’s heading straight into the zone of no return. 

He watches her every single move, every single blink, every single breath trying to catch a sign. 

_ What was she doing?  _

She had told him before that he acted well on impulse, and that his intuition always proved correct, but still...a hint would have been nice. Especially when death was in the cards. Actually scratch that, death was face up on the table, staring him down. 

_ Trust her.  _

It wasn’t something he had to think twice about. It was easy to pull himself back into that mindset. 

He can sense the hesitation behind her fierce facade as her strides shorten only slightly. 

They spot the man at the same time, emerging from a cluster of rubble. 

He isn’t damaged, barely a scratch on him, and walking as straight and upright as a stick of bamboo. 

Adrien had been quiet, still trying to figure out the exact nature of this villain's borrowed powers. 

Adrien was able to hit the spray paint can earlier without it exploding. So was the magic really in the cans? 

What else could possibly be at fault..?

_ The paint.  _

_ He explodes the canisters to release the paint. _

The paint is the explosive. 

★

His pale eyes bore into her brain. 

A look she’ll never forget. 

She prays silently that this is a one time occurrence. 

Even with small felonies, this guy was different than anyone else she’d faced. At least her friends had some remorse, she could see past their hatred and need for justice. 

She could sympathize with them. 

But this man. 

His eyes were full of nothing but spite. 

And it’s all aimed at her. 

Her fingers clutch the fire extinguisher hard enough to lose feeling. 

She’s only ten feet away, and waiting for him to make a move.

There was nothing else to do besides wait. Depending on whether or not he has another spray can, the whole situation could play out differently. 

“Where’s your partner?” 

Marinette swallows. 

“I was hoping to hit two heroes with one  _ boom _ .” He raises his arm tauntingly. 

_ So she was right. He had another.  _

That metallic glint from earlier...her eyes hadn’t betrayed her. 

He shakes it, waiting for a reaction. She doesn’t give him the satisfaction of seeing her fear. 

Inside her head she was calculating. 

She had only ten to twenty seconds of fire power. 

She can feel the scorch of the dancing red ribbons to her left. 

His eyes flick towards them. 

His arm begins to move. 

Marinette doesn’t have the time to decide if she’s making the right decision. Her survival instincts pull into the center stage, drawing her to do it. 

She pulls the pin and squeezes the lever, distinguishing as much of the fire as she can. 

It only takes her a few seconds to realize it. 

There was no clinking of metal on the rough texture of the earth. 

There was no cylindrical shape protruding from underneath the film of white powder. 

She wasted it. 

“Not so lucky.” The man grins. “You aren’t as smart as the media makes you out to be.” He rolls his eyes, as if disappointed. 

Marinette’s heart is speeding. 

_ How many seconds was that? _

_ How many more do I have?  _

_ Enough to save herlife? _

He raises his hand, his index finger on the valve. 

“Don't pay any mind to the can. It’s the paint you should be worried about.”

★

  
  


Adrien watches the scene unfold as he races towards the two. He leaps from rooftop to rooftop fighting against a new villain named time. 

He stops, lining himself up parallel to the attacker below as he raises his spray canister. 

He is not going to let Ladybug die. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Go Adrien go.


End file.
